Harder to Breathe
by Zephyrus14
Summary: Lucas Scott is an MI6 agent. His task is to bring down the Davis empire. He may just encounter the most difficult task to overcome yet: love.
1. Wake Up Call

**Disclaimer: Don't own James Bond, One Tree Hill, or any of the brands mentioned below. I own the idea, some of the gadgets, and my knowledge of chemistry (Sigh, total nerd)

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"008, do you know why you're in here"

"I don't know, why am I here, M? I could easily be on a beach in Cabo making lo-"

"I want you to take up an assignment. The Davis family gets their hand on everything from drugs to arms. Every single lead ends up washed up on the shore or killed by a professional assassin. We've received word that they're trying to take Leopard. Now, I understand the risk of placing you in that environment and you're the best we've got 008. We can't afford to lose you so I'm going to send in a team to monitor you 24/7. Any questions?"

"A couple of requests actually; I need more information than what you're giving me. And maybe a new car."

"Q is waiting for you downstairs. Good luck."

008 begins to walk away. Before he leaves, he turns toward M. "Oh, and that team you were talking about? I work alone."

* * *

**Q's Lab**

"Q, would you happen to have a new car?"

"And what happened to the Aston Martin DBS you were test driving this morning?"

"I ran that over the Thames this morning. Don't worry, I called some of our people to fish it out."

"The 00's certainly know how to put taxpayer money to good use," Q replies sarcastically, "Your Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch, installed with a sonic agitator unit. Simply pull out the crown and any "unbreakable" glass will shatter. Next, we have a fingerprint spray. It is only visible under UV light. SCOTT, DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

008 raises his hands in surrender.

Q continues his overview of the gadgets. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, fingerprints will be visible under UV light. This dial found on the side of your handheld light contains a water soluble vial. The vial contains a sample of cesium. I can imagine you know what to do with it."

"Most certainly; although a sample of francium would be greatly appreciated."

"We don't have clearance to obtain such a sample nor would we be able to obtain any given amount. Knowing the 00's, francium should be kept far out of reach." 008 only laughs in response. Q glares at 008. "We also have a 6 x 1 camera, concealable in your blazer or jacket. Our next item is a safe cracker. We've managed to improve it to generate 7 numbers in approximately 3 sec-"

"Wait a second, say I have to crack an 8-number combination safe. What then?"

"Unfortunately, this is only a prototype. We don't have anything more advanced to send you out with. I'm afraid this will have to do."

R enters the lab. Q says, "Ahh, my apprentice. What have you got?'

R replies, "We have an Aston Martin Rapide. Rapid fire missiles in the front, rockets on the side, nitrous system in the back. All these will be operated by a computer found within the headboard. The windows are bullet-proof. The entire car is rocket-proof and bullet-proof. In the case you need to control your car when you're in a different area, you can access the views with this Motorola Devour."

Q adds, "In this suitcase, you have one hundred thousand US dollars in hard cash. You also have a credit card with a two hundred fifty thousand dollar limit. That is for emergencies only. Now, my favorite part: the information you requested. Leopard contains confidential information. For this mission, you are not allowed to engage in any killing. We need information to crack down the Davis Empire and we need the Leopard. Take your Walther and your plane ticket on the way out."

"That doesn't tell me anything. What is the Leopard?"

"No clearance. Continue on. There's a limo waiting outside to take you to the airport. You're cleared for all security checks and your car will be waiting for you at JFK."

On the way out, Lucas mutters, "I'm sure 007 never had to fly commercial."

Q yells, "I can hear you 008." He holds up a device Lucas figures to be a noise enhancer of some sort.

* * *

**I can imagine most of your reactions by this point: "Wow, what a nerd," "Not going to read this crap." "What in the world would possess someone to write something this stupid?" and "Wow, what a nerd." I am an insanely big fan of James Bond (Ian Fleming FTW) and I thought I would use 007 themes in OTH. It's definitely not a typical James Bond type story because Lucas can't engage in any active killing, but I think it'll turn out okay. I was going to make Lucas an undercover cop, but cops aren't allowed to threaten or lie like the 00's. And they don't have vials of cesium lying around either. Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know what I can do. **


	2. Break Your Heart

**As far as reviews go, I would say 6 reviews for the first chapter is pretty good. Six smile-inducing reviews. I have another fanfic so between this and that, I have a lot of writing and thinking to do. It might take a while to update from here on out. Without further ado, your second chapter.

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**JFK**

Lucas phoned M as he walked towards the nearest Starbucks, "M, you're not giving me a lot to work with. You're telling me to do everything that my job isn't."

"I've given you enough."

"Which is nothing at all. I can't kill anyone."

"It's too high of a risk to allow you to kill. The way the 00's kill, half the Davis Empire would be gone and with it, any leads we have."

"So there's an exception right?"

"Well, I wouldn't suggest it and I probably shouldn't have said this much, but yes, there is an exception. In the event that you need to kill someone, the death has to be accounted for, the corpse well disposed of, and a plausible excuse ready at hand."

"That's hardly an exception M. I'd be doing more work with the dead than I would with the living. Ughh, do I at least have a cover?"

"Yes, you're a piano teacher, after all you have spent years playing it, haven't you?"

Lucas laughs, "Let me get this right, the head of the Davis Empire wants to learn how to play the piano? The same man that deals with drugs and arms and is about as crooked as a man can get?"

"No, you are going to be teaching his daughter. There will be no engaging in any sexual activities with his daughter. She is engaged to be married to Julian Baker, an equally dangerous man. Davis has been grooming Baker to become his successor. Disrupt the natural forces and you can find yourself thrown off a cliff. Need I remind you of the Martin case, 008?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it ended that badly. I bedded the young Martin and I was almost thrown off a cliff: almost being the operative word. You underestimate me M, I am a 00 after all. Hold on," Lucas covered the phone and turned his attention to the barista, "I'll have a doppio expresso. Thanks," and he returned to his conversation with M, "I'd probably be doing her a favor."

"I meant what I said 008. She is strictly off limits. You need her to get close to Richard Davis. You would breach all security measures otherwise. She has full access to all rooms with no surveillance. I know what is probably going through your mind right now. Her having full access to all rooms means nothing when it comes to pleasing you, I mean it," M said while Lucas picked up his cup of coffee. The barista's number was written across the cup and Lucas flashed a quick smile at her. He made his way towards the parking lot as M continued talking.

"Don't worry M. I aim to please," Lucas responded before hanging up, purposely giving a statement dripping with a double meaning. His car was waiting for him exactly where Q said it would be.

The car was a fine specimen, prompting Lucas to mutter in complete gratitude, "Thank you Q."

* * *

**Davis Mansion**

Lucas pulled up to the gates of the Davis mansion. He was greeted by a speakerphone.

"Name?"

"Lucas Scott, new piano teacher." The gates opened and Lucas put his car back into drive. As he pulled up to the entrance, he noticed a large bodyguard. He grabbed his suitcase and transferred the money into the glove compartment. He took off his jacket and gun holster and placed his Walther into his suitcase. The extra padding from the glove compartment fit exactly in the suitcase, perfectly concealing the gun. He placed the piano sheets from the compartment and his phone into the suitcase before closing it. He quickly threw the gun holster under his seat. Lucas put on his jacket and exited the car.

After clearing his throat, he said, "Had a little trouble with radio."

The bodyguard retained his serious composure and threatened, "Get inside and leave your keys with 2-inch." Lucas laughed at this. He received a glare in response and threw his keys at "2-inch".

Normally, he would've taken the guy out in a matter of seconds, so he didn't know what to do. Lucas decided to make small talk to fill the silence. "So, that guy's name is pretty out there. What's yours?"

Clearly, this was the wrong approach to take as Lucas received his second glare and a snarl. "Wait here."

After waiting for a while, the bodyguard returned. "Mr. Davis would like to see you in his office." As he was led around the house, Lucas took notice of the different rooms. He noticed one room in particular. It read "No Entry". He'd be sure to check that out later. Finally, they arrived at their destination.

"I take it you're Lucas Scott," said Richard Davis. Richard Davis wasn't the archetypal crime boss. He looked more the part of a businessman. However, Lucas knew better than to accept things at face value. He had met tons of powerful men like Davis before.

"Yes and I take it you're Richard Davis," Lucas responded sarcastically. It always amazed Lucas that powerful men such as Richard Davis always talked in the dumbest fashion. The bodyguard smacked Lucas across the back of his head. This guy was pushing his luck.

"That's Mr. Davis to you. I understand that you're my daughter's new piano teacher," said "Mr. Davis".

And there it is again. Tone down the trademark 00 wit. "It would seem so. When do I begin?"

"I need to lay down a couple of rules before you begin. You see, my daughter is engaged to be married. You touch her sexually, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat. If my daughter complains about you, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat. Touch my wife, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat. You steal from me, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat. You hurt any of my men, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat. Cross me in any way, I'll have you killed in a heartbeat."

"It's a good thing that I'm here to do my job then," Lucas challenged.

"For your sake, you better hope you are. Your background is painfully clean. Say, how did you get that car of yours?"

"I've worked with a couple of generous families."

Richard Davis was suspicious, with good reason. Lucas understood; after all, one's biggest mistake could be placing all trust on a 00. There was something about Lucas that unnerved Davis. The two engaged in a stare down that lasted for what seemed to be the longest time before Davis said, "Get him out of here and put him in the piano room."

* * *

**Piano Room**

"Ms. Davis will be with you in a moment. Wait here and don't touch anything," said the bodyguard before leaving Lucas by himself.

Lucas roamed around the room. There was nothing special about the room other than the Steinway grand piano in the center. Just like the rest of the house, the room was impersonal; it was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. He had to admit, the Davises has great taste. He sighed thinking, "This is going to be an incredibly boring mission." He took a seat on the piano bench and began to play.

As the piece reached an end, he was interrupted by clapping.

"Rimsky-Korsakov, Flight of the Bumblebees. One of my favorite pieces. Normally, I would prefer it be played on the violin, but seeing as you're playing it, I might just like it more on the piano."

Lucas responded, "Personally, I like it more on the violin, but I'm a piano teacher, so what are you going to do?"

"Why don't we head back to my room and you work those wonderful hands on me? You do that for me and I'll show you what I can do."

Lucas was amused. He smiled and responded, "But Mr. Davis…"

"Tasteless marriage. He can barely get it up to satisfy me. You know how many of his men I've bedded? I'll let you in on a secret. Those that have refused me end up not liking me very much. However, one thing I think you'll love about me is that I love to experiment," said Mrs. Davis as she walked closer. Lucas raised his eyebrow wondering how knowledgeable she could possibly be; that is until she said, "You could be my first Englishman." They had completely different thoughts.

Lucas stood still while Mrs. Davis leaned in for a kiss. He interrupted by greeting the younger Davis, "Hello Ms. Davis. I'm Lucas Scott, your new piano teacher." Brooke Davis was an awfully attractive woman. The curve-hugging red dress did nothing but add to the attraction Lucas had for her. It was a shame that his charms had to go to waste.

She smiled warmly, "Please, call me Brooke." She turned to her mother. "What are you doing here mother?"

"I was just admiring the talents of your new piano teacher. This one seems very good," said Mrs. Davis while eyeing Lucas hungrily. Lucas knew she meant something different than what Brooke thought she meant. "Anyways, I'll see you at dinner," added Mrs. Davis before leaving the room.

"Don't mind her. Although I must say, you are pretty impressive," Brooke said.

"Really? How so?" asked Lucas.

"She normally has something bad to say about our new employees, but you've clearly made a good impression."

"I can only hope I'll do the same for you," Lucas replied. Brooke laughed. She was still an innocent girl, oblivious to her surroundings. She knew nothing of her mother's infidelity and regarded her mother with the utmost respect. She probably didn't know about her father's and fiancé's line of business. Lucas had to admit that Brooke was nothing like her mother or father. She was warm and friendly; although the latter part could be said for her mother, in a completely different context, of course.

"Why don't you join us for dinner? I'm not taking no for an answer," said Brooke.

"I'd love to," Lucas accepted.

"Great! Let's get started."

"Let's"

* * *

**Lucas' Room**

After the piano lesson, Lucas retreated to his room and looked around for hidden cameras and microphones. Standard MI6 protocol. Whoever hid the things certainly didn't do a very good job of hiding them. He found a bug in the battery case of the alarm clock, under his bed, inside the curtain rod, and in the upper corner of his walk-in closet. There were cameras hidden in the headboard of his bed, within the frame of his bathroom mirror, and embedded in one of the clothes hangers.

Lucas took his Devour and called M.

"008, what is it now?"

"I'm dealing with a bunch of amateurs. Don't you think that's a little insulting to me?" Lucas vented.

"That's what 005 thought before we had to abort the mission. His cover was blown and Richard Davis almost had him killed. After his cover was blown, we almost experienced a code red," revealed M.

"That's impossible. Our covers, however seldom used, are never blown."

"Believe what you will. We had to close the file before reopening it to you. I don't want to put you in the same position."

"Too late now, isn't it M? Listen, can you send Felix the background files on all active agents? Once I can get away from the premises, I'll get the files."

"What are you getting at, Lucas?" asked M.

"I have a good feeling that one of our agents went rogue," said Lucas.

"It might take a while, but I'll have Felix phone you once the files are ready. Good luck 008," M said before Lucas hung up.

He had to start getting ready for dinner. There was nothing like a room cleansed of all bugs. Lucas walked towards the en suite bathroom and stripped naked for a cold shower. Yes, a cold shower. 00's are people too and any man would react accordingly to Brooke Davis.

He returned to the bedroom in a towel wrapped around his lower half. On his bed was none other than the older female Davis, clad in only a silk leopard robe. How cliché.

She started the conversation, "Doing some prep work?" Lucas laughed.

"But of course. In all seriousness though, I need to get ready for your dinner."

"Oh? Who invited you?"

"Brooke."

She quickly dismissed the discussion out of jealousy. "Let's get to the unwrapping of the presents."

Lucas decided to humor her, "Mine or yours?" She was impressed at his answer and was about to answer when a maid knocked on Lucas' door saying, "Mr. Scott, Ms. Davis told me to tell you that dinner starts in ten minutes."

Lucas turned his attention back to Mrs. Davis. "I'd love to continue but I need to get dressed. I believe both of us need to get dressed."

"Very well," responded the older Davis. Before leaving the room, she pulled his towel off and smiled.

* * *

Lucas checked himself in the mirror before leaving. He had on a light gray suit, a royal blue dress shirt, and a skinny black tie paired with black dress shoes. Satisfied with his appearance, he left his room and made his way down the grand staircase. Brooke caught up to him on his way down.

"Guess we match today." Brooke was wearing a gray and royal blue dress. She joked, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you set this up."

"You never know," Lucas joked back.

She stuck out her elbow, "Lead me to the table?"

"Gladly" Lucas led her to the bottom of the stairs before she ran to another man waiting a couple steps away.

"Oh my god! You're back! I've missed you so much," Brooke excitedly said before crashing her lips onto the man's lips.

Lucas thought, "That guy's extremely lucky I'm not allowed to sleep with her."

The man noticed Lucas standing by the stairs. "And you are?"

Brooke took this opportunity to introduce the two men to each other. "Oh, this is Lucas, my new piano teacher. Lucas, this is my fiancé, Julian."

"Hello," Lucas greeted.

"You're English." And there it was, powerful men making dumb statements. Lucas was about to respond when Julian spoke to Brooke, "Let's not keep your parents waiting." They came to the table, Mrs. Davis out of sight.

"Hey daddy," said Brooke. She went to kiss his cheek. "Where's mom?"

"Late as usual" A smile made its way onto Lucas' face. He knew exactly why she was late.

They waited a while before the older Davis surfaced.

Richard Davis sarcastically said, 'So good of you to join us."

She looked over at Lucas. "I was a little… busy."

Other than the fact Mrs. Davis kept running her foot up his leg, the dinner wasn't as awful as Lucas thought it would be. Brooke sparked conversation at the table and soon, they found themselves talking about Lucas.

"How was your first lesson with Lucas?" asked Richard.

Lucas entered the conversation, "Great, I hope."

Brooke laughed. "Yea it was actually. I think Lucas is a great teacher. I'm so glad you hired him, daddy. We actually played a few Britney Spears songs." Lucas gave Brooke an appreciative smile.

"I believe you forced me to play those songs. Honestly though, I just think that Brooke is a great student."

Julian watched as the two conversed playfully. He signaled his soon-to-be father-in-law.

Richard Davis received the signal. "Ehemm, excuse Julian and I, we have some business matters we need to attend to." With that, both men left the table.

Lucas eyed their retreating figures before excusing himself from the table.

* * *

**So I left Felix's last name out. I was stuck between Leiter and Taggaro, so it's pretty much up to you. I mean, if Felix ultimately becomes Felix Taggaro, I'm not making him the same asshole from season 2. He'll only be there to assist Lucas. What are the chances that there are Felixes in both James Bond and One Tree Hill? I was conflicted because I didn't want it to be a carbon copy of 007. After all, Lucas is 008 for a reason. I just figured that maybe Lucas should have his own Felix Leiter in the form of one Felix Taggaro.**

**I bet you thought that Brooke was flirting with Lucas at first, huh? Nah, that doesn't make for a good story. Cougars make for good stories. jk. On a more serious note, Lucas is more screwed than he thought. On top of bringing down the Davis Empire, retrieving the Leopard, and dealing with a persistent cougar, he has to deal with a rogue agent that could potentially blow his cover. **

**ALSO, I've tried editing my own work, but I get distracted from the tedious task. I would greatly appreciate someone who could edit my work. I hate it when I read my chapters AFTER uploading them and find a mistake. So yea, hit me up if you're game for the job. **

**It took 4 hours and a lot of procrastination in between to write this. I'm not implying anything, but review and I'll see what I can do.**


	3. Sleeping In

**I've been putting my unexpected writing flow to good use. However, I'm not going to update quickly for the sake of torturing you guys a little. To clear things up, Lucas is English, not American. Also, what Lucas has for Brooke is purely sexual attraction at this point. I'm not making him fall in love with her at first sight or in three chapters. Brooke is in love with Julian at the moment, but that could change *subtle hint (or not)*. Sorry for updating so late, but I'm watching the world cup game. It's so intense. Your third chapter:

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**Richard's office**

Lucas discretely followed the two men. He didn't get the chance to install bugs in the Davis Mansion yet. It was a good thing Q kept him well prepared though. He activated the noise enhancer on his phone and put on his earphones. He knew he was risking a lot by doing things the old fashioned way, but there wasn't a lot he could do given the circumstances.

"So you hired the piano teacher?" asked Julian.

"Yes I did. And from the looks of it, he's seems to be a pretty good one. I know what you're thinking. I don't like him either," consoled Richard.

"There's something about him that annoys me beyond all reason. Maybe it's the fact that he seems to be interested in MY fiancée. I'm the closest thing you've got to a successor. If you lose me, you've got nothing!" shouted Julian while he walked back and forth.

"As long as I'm here, I still control the Davis Empire," Richard retaliated. He sighed before lowering his voice, "For some reason, my daughter thinks he's a good piano teacher. She only sees the good in people. He knows better than to lay a hand on her though. Besides, my daughter's happiness matters more than yours."

"She's going to be the death of you," said Julian.

"Not for long. She's going to be **your** wife," challenged Richard.

Julian immediately shut up and changed the subject, "I've got a tip from an Istanbul shipping magnate. He intercepted a message from a businessman from Kyrgyzstan."

"Have you got a name?"

"Yuri Tarasov. He's native to Russia. He plans to put the Leopard on the market in a few months. Word has it, that the buyer list is exclusive to Russians only."

"Damn it."

"We have a Russian business contact. Dmitri Ivanov, I believe. He's a prominent businessman and I'm sure he could easily make the buyer list if he showed interest," suggested Julian.

"He's a bastard. It cost me an arm and a leg working with him last time. Asking him for a favor is like selling your soul. But, if worse comes to worst, have him ready on call."

Lucas heard footsteps walking in his direction. The information he obtained would have to do. He removed his earphones and walked towards his room.

* * *

**Lucas' room**

Lucas had gotten to his room fairly quickly. He checked for any security guards before abruptly closing his door. He walked to his suitcase and unlocked it. Just as he was about to remove the padding concealing his gun, he heard a knock on his door. He went to open the door. It was Brooke.

"Hey, so you left dinner pretty early."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well," Lucas said.

"Oh, are you better?" asked Brooke. It was great of Brooke to express her concern really, but he had somewhere to go.

"Yea, thanks for asking," Lucas quickly dismissed.

"Listen, I came by to tell you I had a great time at our piano lesson today. This is the first time in a long time that one of my teachers has had me so excited about playing the piano. So I was wondering if maybe we could down to the piano room and play for awhile."

He glanced back at his suitcase before turning back to Brooke and hesitantly answering, "Uhh, yea, sure."

"Great!"

"Let me just get a few things ready. I'll meet you there," Lucas quickly said. He ran back to his suitcase and took his gun before putting everything back in its place. He shoved the gun in the back of his pants.

* * *

**Piano room**

Brooke was already sitting on the piano bench when Lucas arrived.

"Hey, shall we get started?" Lucas would welcome spending time with a woman like Brooke Davis, but to him, business always came before pleasure.

Before she could answer, his phone rang. It was Felix.

He cleared his throat before answering, "Hello grandma?"

Felix laughed on the other end. "I've got the files you needed. Meet me at the pier in 30."

"I love you too grandma," Lucas quickly responded before both men hung up.

Lucas made his excuse, "I'm sorry. I have to go. Something came up with my grandmother."

"Oh, that's fine. Is she alright?"

Lucas was already halfway out the door when he answered, "Yea, she will be."

He headed downstairs and was about to pick up the keys to his Rapide when he was interrupted again.

"Where are you headed at this late an hour?"

Goddamn it. He couldn't catch a break. It was amusing at first when the cougar threw herself at him, but now it was getting slightly annoying.

"I have to get to my grandmother."

"At this hour?" Mrs. Davis questioned.

"Mrs. Davis-"

"Victoria," she interrupted.

He sighed, "Victoria, I really have to get going."

She finally gave in. "Fine. I'll be in your bedroom when you get back." She trailed her finger down his chest and winked at him.

Lucas couldn't get out faster if he wanted. He got his keys from 2-inch and sped down the freeway.

* * *

**Pier**

Lucas slowed down his car as he approached the pier. He exited his car and buttoned one of the buttons on his jacket.

"Sorry, I was a little, ehemm, caught up."

"It's alright grandson," Felix joked, "I have the files you needed."

"Perfect. Can you contact Maksim Mihailov?"

"Are you sure he's reliable? We could contact Valentin Zukovsky instead," suggested Felix.

"No, he's 007's contact. Mihailov is more reliable than Zukovsky. I know I can trust him," Lucas argued.

"If you're sure," Felix said skeptically.

"Yea, I'm sure. I think I might need to stay at your apartment tonight."

"Is 008 actually giving up a room at the Davis mansion for my less than average apartment?" Felix joked.

"There's a… pest problem. I need somewhere to stay."

Felix laughed. "Alright, but you got couch."

* * *

**Davis Mansion, next morning**

Lucas spent all night going through the files on the MI6 agents with Felix. Hopefully, Victoria wouldn't be in his bedroom by the time he got up there. As he was walking, he was intercepted by Brooke.

"Hey, is your grandmother okay?"

"My grandmother?" asked Lucas before he realized what she meant, "Oh, yea, she's fine. I stayed overnight to make sure she was okay, or put my heart at ease as my grandmother says."

"You're a good guy Luke."

If only she knew he was there to take down her father. Or the fact that normally, his job was to kill in cold blood.

"Thanks. I'm going to freshen up."

He walked to his room and closed the door. When he turned around, Victoria spoke, "Hi."

Lucas did not expect her to be there and responded with an, "Oh shit."

"So, you didn't come home last night. What took so long?" Victoria interrogated.

"I wanted to make sure my grandmother was okay. Look, I need to get ready for the next piano lesson," said Lucas tiredly.

"Don't you think I need to be compensated in some way? After all, I did wait for you all night."

Lucas realized she wasn't going to give up anytime soon. He inched closer to give her a kiss. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Brooke's head popped through the door.

"Hey Lucas… and mother? What are you doing here?" Brooke entered the room.

Victoria lied, "I was just talking to Lucas about the next arrangement you're going to be playing. One of **Rimsky-Korsakov**'s pieces, no?" The woman was an expert liar. No dilation of the pupils, shifting of the eyes, or obvious body language.

He sighed in annoyance, "Yes. I must get to freshening up though. Was there something you needed Brooke?"

She seemed surprised when he spoke to her. "Oh, I was just checking if you were ready. Uhh, I guess I'll just wait for you in piano room." Both women left, but not before Victoria bared her leg.

Lucas shook his head and went into the bathroom.

* * *

**Piano room**

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lucas apologized. He threw his jacket on one of the chairs and rolled up his sleeves. He ruffled through the papers in his suitcase.

"It's fine," Brooke assured. She seemed disconnected.

"Alright, I was originally going to have you play some Chopin pieces today, but your mother requested you play Rimsky-Korsakov. So Scheherazade was a symphonic suite he composed. It was based on _The Book of One Thousand and One Nights_. The frame story is about a sultan. He loses all faith in women when he finds out about his bride's infidelity. He has her killed and-"

"He remarries only to kill his new brides. Along comes Scheherazade. She tells the sultan a story, but leaves a cliffhanger every night. The sultan, eager to find out the ending, allows her to live. And during the one thousand and one nights, the sultan falls in love with her," Brooke adds.

Lucas was impressed. "Yes. You're familiar with the story?" said Lucas as he began laying out the piano sheets.

"Vaguely," answered Brooke. It was annoyed Lucas that Brooke seemed so disinterested all of a sudden.

"Good. Now the piano arrangement was written by Prokofiev. Generally, the style is the same so let's get started."

Brooke played for all of 2 minutes before Lucas interrupted.

"Brooke, the tempo progresses from largo e maestoso to lento to allegro non troppo. Your tempo so far hasn't changed. Start again."

She started and was interrupted six times.

"Ok, ok stop. You keep making the same mistakes. What really gets me is that you're making the same mistakes at the exact same times. Is there something wrong, Brooke?" Lucas said, raising his voice.

"Okay, this might sound stupid, but is there something going on between you and my mother?"

"You're right," said Lucas, momentarily confirming Brooke's fear. "That was stupid. Your mom didn't want me to tell you this, but she feels your parents' marriage has become a bit tame. She came to me asking for insight; you know, what goes on in a male's mind. I can assure you, your mother loves your father very much."

Brooke looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I falsely accused you."

"It's alright," Lucas said, "I have two tickets for Romeo and Juliet at the Metropolitan Opera House tomorrow and I was wondering if you would come with me."

"I don't know…"

"I mean it's the least you can do since you did falsely accuse me," Lucas teased.

"Okay. Again, I'm so sor-"

"Why don't you properly play this piece and we'll consider it forgotten, okay?"

Lucas was walking back to his room when he spotted Victoria Davis walking in his direction. Once they reached each other, Lucas grabbed her arm and pulled them both into an empty room. He checked for people before closing the door.

"I can see we're eager to get started."

Lucas ran his hand through his hair. "Your daughter asked me if there was anything going on between us. I told her you were coming to me for advice on livening up your marriage. I have a feeling she might talk to you about it." With that, he left the room and went to retrieve the bugs he would place around the mansion.

* * *

After he was done, Lucas left to meet up with his contact: Maksim Mihailov.

"Can I get you anything sir?"

"A bottle of La Mission Haut Brion 1981 Pessac-Leognan" The waiter left to retrieve the bottle.

"Lucas Scott. Still alive I see."

"Mihailov, take a seat."

Lucas interrupted when Mihailov raised his hand at the waiter.

"No need. I already ordered wine. Bordeaux Red, correct?"

"Yes," Mihailov said, impressed. "I understand that you need me for something?"

"Yes, do the names Yuri Tarasov and Dmitri Ivanov mean anything to you?"

Mihailov laughed. "You're not thinking about going into business with Ivanov right? Ivanov had me by the head the last time I visited Russia. The man is insane, but he's well respected. Tarasov, however, I don't think I've heard of. It shouldn't be hard to find him though. I'll call my brothers first thing tomorrow. They should come up with something by noon."

Lucas stood up when the waiter came with the wine. He placed three hundred dollars on the table.

"You're not staying?" Mihailov asked.

"No. I'm afraid I have business I need to attend to."**

* * *

**

**Union Square**

"M, Russians."

"Have you gotten a name?" asked M.

"Two. Yuri Tarasov, he's planning to sell the Leopard in a few months. The other's Dmitri Ivanov, quite well-known in the criminal world actually. Ivanov is Davis' contact. I have a man running checks on both men, but can you run another one through the MI6 database?"

"I'll have Dupont run a search. There's another serious matter. One of Davis' men was spotted in a military base is Uzbekistan."

"I'll check it out in a few days when I fly out to Russia." Lucas ended the call and got into his Aston Martin.

* * *

**Davis Mansion**

All there was left to do was get dressed for the opera. Lucas hated not being in control, but he had no choice but to hand over work to other people. He didn't have the resources he normally did.

Lucas walked to Brooke's room, well Brooke and Julian's room. He knocked on the door.

"Hey, Brooke? Are you in there?"

"Just a second," she yelled through the door.

A few minutes later, she opened the door.

"Hey Luke. What's up?"

"I just came to remind you that we're going to that opera tonight."

"Oh yea, I was in the middle of getting ready."

"Does your fiancé mind?"

"Julian? He doesn't know, he had to go out for business."

"Alright, I'll meet you downstairs."

* * *

Lucas was dressed in a tuxedo waiting for Brooke. He figured the opera would be a good distraction for the both of them.

Brooke walked down the stairs in a strapless floor length dress that matched the sands along the Gulf of Suez.

Lucas pursed his lips in thought as he allowed his eyes to study the contours of Brooke's magnificent body. He thought, "M would never have to know." After all, the biggest crime would be not sleeping with such a fine woman.

"You look beautiful," complimented Lucas.

"You don't look so bad yourself. I'll have Victor drive us there."

"No need, we'll take my Aston Martin." They walked outside to his Aston Martin. He opened the door for her and walked to the driver's seat. They began driving.

"So, are you looking forward to the opera?"

"Are you kidding? I'm such a hopeless romantic. Romeo and Juliet is a timeless love story. It's a perfect match. "

Lucas shrugged, "I always thought it was more infatuation than anything else."

"No way. If they were infatuated with each other, they would have never died for each other."

He looked at her incredulously "You know that they're about 15 or 16 years old right?

"And what should that matter? It just proves that love has no age limit."

"Or it means they're infatuated with each other. What does a 15 year old know about love?"

"Have **you **ever been in love?"

"No and I prefer it be that way. I'm more of a one night stand kind of guy; although, I am open to more than just one night, depending on the woman."

"Wouldn't love be worth giving all that up? The act of putting yourself out there, fearing the possibilities, but welcoming the full force of love when it comes knocking at your door. What do you have to risk?" Brooke wore a smile the whole time she said that.

"My heart for one." The prospect of a broken heart didn't scare him. He just didn't stay in one place long enough to fall in love. Being a 00 meant he was risking his life. It wasn't fair to ask someone else, who had no obligation to the country whatsoever, to do the same. It would be a constant battle between his work and his lover. He feared that he would choose his work more often than not; his first loyalty lies with King and Country."

"But it's worth it is you ask me. Love is a constant tug of war between pain and happiness. And I think there's no feeling better than the feeling of being in love and being loved."

Lucas looked over at her and smiled before turning his head forward. "We're here."

* * *

**Davis Mansion, 2 a.m.**

Lucas walked into the kitchen in only his briefs, bottle of 30 year old Macallan single malt scotch whisky in hand . Hopefully, Victoria Davis wouldn't walk in to make another sexual advance.

A soft calm voice penetrated the silence in the room, "Hey."

Lucas scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, "Hey. What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep. What are you doing here?" answered Brooke.

"Same. I came down here to get a lowball glass. Want some?" Lucas lifted up the bottle.

"Sure."

Lucas brought two glasses and poured scotch into both. He gave one glass to Brooke and took a sip from his own. He watched as Brooke took a sip from hers. "So how's Julian doing?"

She answered bitterly, "I wouldn't know. He's gone all the time."

"So this is what you were talking about," Lucas said cryptically.

"What?" she asked confused.

"Love being a constant tug of war between pain and happiness. That's the way you and Julian are, right?"

"I don't know anymore. Sometimes it seems as if I love him more than he loves me."

He downed his glass before pouring himself another, "What makes you say that?"

"The way it is with him…he can be the greatest guy in the world if he wants to and he could turn into the biggest stranger if he wants to. Sometimes I don't know how to deal with it."

"Men just have a different way of expressing emotions," he said while refilling her glass.

"Then explain to me. What drives him to be away from me so long when I can barely go to sleep without him by my side?"

"Only he knows. But, if it were me: the thought of coming back."

Brooke scoffed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"People think that being away from each other for long periods of time eventually tames the love, leading them to cheat," he said as Brooke's eyes widened, "No, I didn't mean that. Let me finish first. I've never been in love, but the act of returning to someone you love after so long would be a romantic sentiment in my opinion. The only way I would leave is if I knew coming home would be that much more rewarding." She was caught in deep thought. "I'm going to Vienna in a couple of days, if you don't mind."

"No, it's fine. I mean no man can stand to be near me right?"

"Quite the opposite actually," he said, "Don't look so surprised. No man would be able to keep away from you." Brooke gave him an appreciative smile before Lucas changed the subject. "There's an event I've been invited to. A few world class composers and I were planning to sample some operas in Vienna. If you want me to stay though, I'd be more than happy to."

"No, go. There's no way I'm letting you pass up an opportunity like that."

"Thank you." With one finger, he pushed the bottle of scotch towards her. "The rest of it is yours." He turns to walk away.

"Lucas!" Brooke softly shouted. "Thanks. For everything."

He nodded in acknowledgement and walked back to his room.

* * *

**To clear things up, that whole Vienna thing was just an excuse for Lucas to go to Russia. I mean, it would be pretty suspicious if he's worked there for a couple of days and asks to go to the Davis' area of business. I wasn't all too satisfied with this chapter, but hopefully it will fare better with you guys. There wasn't an awful lot of Brucas interaction, but I thought it was just enough for this chapter. Review and I'll see what I can do.**


	4. Misery

**There are quite a few flashbacks in this chapter. They'll be in italics. There's some M rated stuff, but I don't think I did a good job of writing it. I don't know, you guys will just have to see. And that no killing rule only applies when Lucas is in the U.S. Also, I felt my writing style drastically suffer over the past few days, so bear with me.

* * *

**

**Moscow, Russia**

Lucas sat in a Russian café in a pea coat, white dress shirt, slim fit pants, patented leather shoes, and aviator shades, drinking an espresso.

"On s'est mis à poil (We got naked)." Lucas raised his eyebrows in amusement, but he didn't bother to look at the owner of the voice. She continued, "Nous avons baise (We fucked)."

He couldn't help but turn around.

He chuckled, "Lizaveta Petrova, the Russian who prefers to speak in French." He walked towards her to give her a hug.

"Lucas Scott, the only man who didn't want me twice."

"Who says I don't still want you now?"

"Nice try. By the way, I knew about the bet."

**Flashback**

_Lucas was walking the streets of Moscow with James Bond._

"_Scott, let's make a bet."_

_Lucas' interest was piqued, "What's the bet?"_

"_First to bed Lizaveta Petrova."_

"_What the prize?"_

"_You mean other than her?" James asked in mock surprise, "Five hundred thousand pounds."_

"_I'm in."_

**End flashback**

"Really?"

"When I failed to show Bond any interest, he came to me and told me about your little wager."

**Flashback**

"_Bond"she nodded in acknowledgement._

"_Petrova. Before you decide to sleep with my good friend, there's something you should know. We made a bet seeing who could sleep with you first. The prize-"_

"_Other than me?" _

_Bond chuckled, "I said the same thing. Five hundred thousand pounds; that's the prize."_

**End flashback**

"That bastard. I should've known he wouldn't play clean."

"I still slept with you, didn't I?"

"But not before sleeping with Bond, right? He did seem horribly interested in you."

"I never slept with him."

"I'm curious. You knew about the bet. Why didn't you just walk away?"

She ran a finger down his chest. "And miss the chance to sleep with you? I don't think so."

Lucas laughed. "Bet or no bet, I would've done the same."

She raised an eyebrow and pulled him closer to her lips, "Really? So why did you leave me in the middle of the night?"

**Flashback**

_She bit down on his bottom lip as they kissed. Both tore at each other's clothes as if they couldn't get it off fast enough. That was always how it was with his women._

_They landed on the bed, stripped free of all clothing with Lucas on top. Before he could do another thing, she switched their positions so that she was on top. He tried to switch back, but she kept a firm hand on his chest. There was no foreplay; just rough, quick sex. She positioned herself on top of him and allowed his length to enter. She rode him while he laid one hand on her waist, guiding her and massaged her breasts with the other. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore; he rolled them over so that he was now on top. He thrusted quickly, garnering ecstatic moans and screams from Lizaveta. His later thrusts got deeper, reaching depths she had never felt before. It wasn't long before they both climaxed. They continued until it subsided, sweat adorning their bodies.

* * *

_

_Lucas had a clear rule. He would sleep with a woman, but he would never stay for breakfast. He searched for all articles of clothing, quickly dressed and took one last look at her before leaving the room. She was amazing sex.

* * *

_

_**Paris, France**_

_Gisele Savreux. She worked for the Deuxi__è__me Bureau. More specifically, she was an operative working with __**him**__._

"_Stay in the car and monitor all movements," said Lucas, grabbing the empty suitcase._

_He walked towards the men. They switched suitcases, theirs containing a microchip. He checked first. The microchip was the original. He motioned them to check. Knowing that his suitcase contained nothing, he pulled out his gun and shot the men. The driver was visibly frightened. Lucas aimed in the driver's direction and fired. He ran back to the car._

"_5.8 seconds. Not bad," complimented Gisele._

"_Thanks."

* * *

_

_Gisele and Lucas came through the door, lips locked onto each other. She unbuttoned his dress shirt while he worked on her dress' zipper. When his shirt was off, she began working on his belt._

"_T'es trop sexy (You are really sexy),"Lucas said when her dress was off and she was in her underwear._

_She laughs in response._

"_Pourquoi ris-tu? (Why are you laughing?)" he asks, chuckling back._

_She responds, "Tais-toi (Shut up)" before pushing him onto the bed._

**End flashback**

Lucas unconsciously rubbed his bottom lip as he thought back. After a few seconds he said, "I had to go to France at the last minute."

She teased, "You mean, so you could sleep with Gisele Savreux?" Lucas was shocked that she knew. "Yea, she's one of my friends."

Lucas smiled before saying "Est-ce que tu es libre ce soir?" (Are you free tonight?)

"Pourquoi?" (Why?)

"Permets-moi de t'offrir quelque chose à boire." (Let me buy you a drink)

"She joked, "Va te faire foutre, (Fuck yourself)" knowing very well that's exactly what he would be doing to her tonight.

* * *

"Mihailov, what's the status on Tarasov?"

"He's been moving around in safe houses all week. My brothers have been trailing him and they found something that might be of good use to you."

"What is it?"

"There's a deal going down. If the buyer offers a good price, Tarasov plans to sell immediately. They're meeting at the Vogue Café. You should be able to intercept them if you head there now."

Lucas hung up. He was walking as quickly as he could. Along the way, walking had progressed into running.

Suddenly he stopped. "Shit," he muttered. He had spotted Julian. What the hell was he doing there? Then, it all clicked. Julian was the buyer. If the deal went through, there would be no telling what Davis would do.

He ran to the café, using the crowd as cover. Someone was unloading 5-gallon bottles of water from a truck. Lucas took two as he slowed down near the café, ignoring the protests of the worker. He whipped out his Swiss army knife and punctured holes in both of them. He quickly emptied the bottles onto the street as he took notice of Julian's approaching figure. Lucas took the vial of cesium from his UV light and threw it onto the water. He ran, hoping that the sample was large enough to cause a diversion.

The explosion sent Julian running in the opposite direction "Thank god for Q," he whispered to himself while catching his breath. The worker unloading the bottles of water tapped on his shoulder. Lucas threw 1,500 rubles at the man before he left to find Mihailov.

* * *

Lucas was waiting in his car when Mihailov entered.

"Julian Baker. He's the one initiating the deal," Lucas said before turning to look at Mihailov.

"So what's the problem? Take him out. You have a license to kill."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. Call it an obligation to a friend if you will." Lucas had grown particularly fond of Brooke. Their conversation a few nights before was proof of how much Brooke loved Julian. He couldn't bear to take Julian away from her.

Mihailov gave a disapproving look. "Fine. Take this comms unit. My brothers are scattered all over the perimeter, so we should be able to pick up a signal. Tarasov had his driver take him to an abandoned safe house outside the city. Here's the address," Mihailov handed him a piece of paper and the comms unit. He then exited the car before Lucas started the engine.

Lucas turned on the navigation system. He followed the directions indifferently, thinking only of the situation he was in. He was a 00 agent. Regardless of who the person was, he was always able to kill in cold blood. Now, one harmless woman was able to stop him from killing. He wouldn't deny it: he was sexually attracted to her, but that was all it was. For some reason, her emotions struck something inside of him. All women knew him to be an insensitive asshole, hell he knew it himself.

His job was most important to him. It was all he had known. He was born to be a 00. If someone were to take that away from him, he wouldn't know what to do. It was the same for Brooke. To her, Julian was the most important person. If he took Julian away from her, she would be lost. She would be broken into pieces and he knew he would be off bedding a woman in Bucharest. That was part of the reason he couldn't kill Julian. Brooke was innocent in all of this. She proved to be the only source of light in a house shrouded in complete darkness. He knew the guilt would live with him if he were the one to break her. The worst part was he wouldn't have the time to fix her.

There was a limo parked outside the safe house door. The driver was leaning against it, smoking a cigarette. He would have to find an alternate way in.

Lucas took out his silencer and attached it to his gun. He made his way quickly under the cover of the trees. There was a fire escape on the side of the safe house; that was his way in. He carefully ran up the visibly ancient steps, praying he wouldn't make any noise. And with that, one of the steps broke. He was hanging on off one of the steps. Clearly someone had heard the noise as he found himself pointed at with a gun. Before the man could shoot, Lucas drew his gun and shot him. Amateur. No one calls for backup. He'd come back later to clean up his body.

He pulled himself up and started to walk again, careful not to break any more steps. He opened the door, only allowing his head through to check for any people that might catch him. When no one was in sight, Lucas walked along the passageway, peeking over the edge as he did so.

Tarasov was waiting alone when Julian showed up.

"Have you got the Leopard?" asked Julian.

"The deal's off. I'm going to sell it in a few months like I originally planned to do. There's too much risk now."

Julian scoffed. "Risk? There's no risk. Sell it to me now. I have 10 million dollars and it's all yours. If you don't give me the Leopard, you'll have nothing-life included."

To Julian's chagrin, Tarasov started laughing. "I'll have nothing? The Leopard is stored somewhere you'll never find it. I'm not stupid; I'm not going to hide it in my office or home. If you kill me, **you'll **have nothing. You're engaged to that Davis girl, no? If I end up dead, you won't get the Leopard. Your marriage arrangement falls through and your soon-to-be father-in-law will bury you. You want the Leopard? Wait a couple of months like the rest of us and have your business contact get it for you." Tarasov turned to leave, muttering, "Stupid Americans. And to think I was going to sell to someone other than a Russian."

Lucas talked into his comms unit. "Mihailov, you can call your brothers off. Tarasov won't have anything in his office or home. It won't be in his safety deposit box. We just need to find out where that son of a bitch hid it."

"My brothers are trailing him. He'll probably keep under the radar for a couple of days. We'll try to get him to move the Leopard so that we'll know where it is. You can get back to having sex or whatever it is you do."

Lucas laughed in response, "I will. I know you prefer Bordeaux Red, but I've got a bottle of 1973 Dom Perignon waiting for you at your apartment. A little thank you of sorts and congratulations for stopping the deal. You were always better than Zukovsky. It was always like Bond to work with someone difficult."

Mihailov added, "Not to mention the fact, I'm younger, slimmer, and more attractive."

Lucas laughed again, "The first two yes, the last one however, I can't say I find you attractive."

* * *

**Uzbekistan**

"M, Davis was the one that set up the deal. The deal fell through. The Leopard is still at large, but I have a contact looking for it. Have you got an I.D. on Davis' man?"

"He has a bigger frame than you. He's bald and wears a mustache. There's a scar on the right side of his head and a dragon tattoo on the left. We need you to find the precise reason he's there."

"Alright."

Lucas wore a military uniform, easily disguising himself among the others. He began walking towards a door marked "No Entry." Lucas walked past a tall man, who had left the room. He made his way quickly to catch the door.

The room was a computer hackers' convention. Lucas scanned several screens as his eyes widened in realization. This was an organized attempt at infiltrating the databases of top secret government agencies around the world. He walked to an empty computer and inserted a flash drive Q had given him from a previous mission. It would remotely access the computer, download all files, and provide communication between MI6 and himself.

A window popped up. Lucas looked to his left and right before opening it. He began typing.

**M, they're running an organized hack. They want access to the government databases around the world. **As he waited for a reply, he began searching through some of their files. One in particular caught his attention. He paled as he read through it. There was still no reply.

**I repeat, the base is running an organized hack. Davis is trying to hack into the MI6 database. And there's a 30 million dollar bounty on my head.

* * *

**

**So the reviews have died down quite a bit and frankly, I'm a little disappointed. Call me greedy or whatever, but I live off your reviews. Brooke didn't show up in this chapter, but I promise I'll make it up to you in the next chapter.**

**These reviewers have proven to be loyal. Your reviews are just readily met with wide grins.**

**T.H.G4EVA – I love it that you're so psyched about my idea. I laugh at it sometimes, in a good way, of course. I don't know, your reviews drive me to write more. And Brucas will get it on… soon enough**

**dianehermans- you've got to be one of the quickest reviewers; I mean, I put up a chapter and the next time I check, you've already reviewed, so major props**

**liverpoolss- I'm a huge fan of your stories and it totally blows my mind how you take the time to review a "noob" in the fanfic world, so yea.**

**So, I don't want to take up an insane amount of space responding to my reviewers and this was pretty much a quick thank you. So yea, thanks to the people that reviewed and just because you weren't mentioned doesn't mean you're not as equally important. I'm kind of begging here, so REVIEW!**


	5. Alive

**I haven't updated as quickly as before because I've been procrastinating. I started reading "Leaves of Grass" lately and playing around with charcoal sticks. Yea, and the review count has become kind of disappointing. Mostly, I've been getting subscribed to and there's also been a few favorite author and favorite stories under my belt. As flattering as that is, reviews ultimately make me ecstatic. So people, REVIEW! I'll update faster =) Well, your fifth chapter:

* * *

**

**Son of a bitch, it's the rogue agent.**

**Language, 008. Davis' man is trying to hack into the M16 database and there's a 30 million dollar bounty on your head. Why haven't they killed you yet?**

**Precisely why they're trying to hack into the database. They have the figure up for 008, but they don't know who they're killing.**

**We have to end all their leads. I can't have them tracing you 008. Davis is now classified as a high-level threat. I'm sending another 00 in.**

**I work alone, M. I thought I made that clear. I'm going to blow up the base and I'm not going to even wait for authorization. **With that, Lucas left the room and began to text Q.

**Q, I need a blueprint of the military base in Uzbekistan. They probably have a self-destruct option for the base, seeing as they have to erase all their traces somehow. **He placed his phone in his back pocket.

"The man. The man walked right past him when he entered the room. The military cap did nothing to hide the bottom half of the dragon tattoo. Shit," Lucas thought as he scanned the area for the man. He was getting into one of the trucks. Lucas made a run for the man.

He made it inside the truck and a fight ensued. Lucas threw punch after punch at the man's face, successfully breaking his jaw. Blood was coughed out by the man while Lucas's blood was dripping from his own hands. He squeezed the man's pressure point and threw one last punch before the man fainted. The man had gotten in a few punches as well, evident on Lucas' face, which was now stained with a few drops of blood on the corner of his mouth.

Lucas wiped his mouth and hands on the man's uniform before exiting the car and moving to the door on the other side. He looked both ways before opening the door and dragging the body out, but not before taking the keys from the ignition. "Now I have to hide your body and hope you don't wake up. What was I thinking, not getting a 9-to-5 job? Of course! You wanted to sleep with every woman that walked your way. And now you're talking to yourself." He threw the body in the trunk and regained his composure. Suddenly, his phone sounded.

"Ahh, Q, always the reliable one." He took out his gun and attached the silencer while walking towards the main control room. He slipped carefully through the door of the main building and walked down the stairs.

"Hey, what are you doing here? You have no access here," a guard said as he was prepared to call for back up. Lucas took him out with one shot. He glanced at the map on his phone a couple of times, taking out a few guards along the way.

Finally, he reached the door. "You've got to be kidding me." There was a keypad next to the door. He needed a number combination and a security card to enter. He heard footsteps coming from the opposite end of the hall. There was one problem: he couldn't exactly hide.

* * *

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. A man wearing a lab coat came to the door. He slid the magnetic strip of his security card across the top of the keypad and punched in 4 numbers. The door clicked to signal clear entry. Lucas swung from the ceiling landed on the floor. He took out his UV light and ran it over the keypad.

**Flashback**

_Lucas quickly sprayed the fingerprint spray over the keypad as the footsteps became louder. He placed the spray back into his pocket and ran up against the wall. It wasn't the first time he used the trick and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Arching his back, he flipped himself upward. The throwing motion tossed him up to the ceiling, his hands and feet supporting his body against the walls. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. _

**End Flashback**

Lucas mumbled to himself, "Fingerprints on 1, 2, 3, and 4."

"Let's see," he said to himself as he ran his fingers over the numbers, "2, 1, 3, 4." There were 2 lights at the bottom right of the keypad, one of which was now green. "As for the security card…" Lucas said while taking out his wallet, "Still have my Q card." The Q card was a universal card adapter that in this case, proved to be useful in deactivating the card scan. The second light flashed green. He flung open the door and was met by three men. None of them seemed to be threats, but clearly he was wrong as they drew out hand guns of their own.

"Drop the gun down. Military officers are found in upper deck. You made the wrong move coming down here, pal."

Lucas carefully lowered his gun down, while still bending down, "Quite the contrary actually." He quickly swept his leg across the floor, landing all three men on the floor. He took out the man on the left with 2 blows to the face, the man in the middle with a kick and a punch with his gun. Before the last man could pick up his gun, Lucas pointed his gun at the man's head.

He grabbed the man by his shirt, "There's a way to self-destruct this entire base and I need you to do it. I trust you to do this for me and I'll spare your life."

The man just laughed in Lucas' face. Lucas slammed him against the wall, "I SAID I NEED YOU TO SELF-DESTRUCT THE BASE! DO IT NOW!"

"You think you can stop us? We have a man inside the MI6 agency. The Davis family is going to monopolize every single business and control the world, country by country. It's only a matter of time."

"I'm giving you one last chance. You can destruct this place and still make it out alive. Davis will never have to know it was you."

"I'd rather die than betray them. There is no way I'm going to help you so you might as well kill me now," the man said darkly.

Without hesitation, Lucas shot the man in the head. Since this man did nothing to help him, he wouldn't bet on the others helping him either. He killed the other two as well, before taking out his flash drive once more.

**Q, I need you to hack into the mainframe and destruct the base.**

A few seconds later, Lucas got a response. **I can run through most of the procedures, but you're going to have to run some of the processes manually.**

At this point, Lucas was annoyed. **Start a countdown two minutes prior to destroying the base.**

The base was well on its way to being destroyed and every trace to the agencies with it.

**008, I just need you to press alt and enter to activate the countdown. You have two minutes to get away from the base. The count starts now.**

Lucas took the flash drive out and turned for the door. As his luck would have it, another man stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going? We both know there's no way to turn this all back now. If we're going down with this sinking ship, so are you."

"I have a flight to catch and you're getting in the way," said Lucas as he lunged towards the man, throwing punch after punch. "You're cutting into my two minutes."

The man flipped them over and threw a few punches of his own. Lucas had a minute and 30 seconds to make it out of the base. His gun was sitting halfway across the room. Just as the man was prepared to throw another punch, Lucas grabbed his fist and kicked his chest, throwing the man off. He quickly slid to his gun and shot at the man's head. He realized he had a minute left to escape as he glanced down at his watch.

Lucas made his way down the path and up the stairs, towards the truck where he hid one of Davis' men. 30 seconds left. He began digging through his pockets for the key. 20 seconds left. When he finally found the key, he started the truck. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

* * *

"Where am I?" the man asked. He struggled around with the ropes tying him before giving up.

Lucas sat on the hood of the truck looking at his phone, searching for a signal. "Right now? Nowhere," he replied as he replaced his phone with his gun, "Everyone on the base is gone and I hope I don't have to take your life either."

"What do you want?" the man questioned timidly.

Lucas walked over to him and crouched down. "You give me a name. You don't seem to be half as dumb as the other men dead on that base," he said, pointing in the now destroyed base's general direction, "You give me the name of the rogue agent inside MI6, I'll put you into protection and Davis will never have to know. As far as he's concerned, you're just another dead man among the others that went down with this failed operation."

The man regained some confidence, "That's not enough. I'll be risking my life; there has to be more you're willing to offer."

"One hundred grand, hard cold cash, to get you started. Assuming you'll be smart enough to lay low, you won't go around calling whores. We got a deal?"

"Colin Ellis, he lives in New York. Untie me so I can get my cash?" the man asked boldly.

Lucas looked him dead in the eye and responded, "I'm afraid you've seen too much." He shot the man and lit a match, which he threw on the corpse. He drove off as the tangible being turned into nothing more than ashes that now blew among the sands of the desert.

* * *

**Davis Mansion**

Lucas arrived at the Davis Mansion, luggage in tow. His days in "Vienna" were eventful to say the least. He slept with Petrova, caused an evasion, stopped a deal, destroyed a base, and found the rogue agent. The added bonus was he didn't have to see Victoria Davis. He was met by the butler on his way in.

"Mr. Scott, would you like me to bring your luggage to your room?" the butler politely asked.

"No, I'll be fine. Where is everyone?"

"Master Davis and Mr. Baker are away on business. Mrs. Davis is away at a dinner party and Ms. Davis is in her room."

"Thank you," replied Lucas as he walked towards the stairs with his luggage. As soon as he reached his room, he abandoned the luggage on the floor and poured himself a glass of scotch. He took out his phone and began dialing.

After a few rings, he was connected. "Felix, I need a profile on Colin Ellis. He lives in New York."

"I'll have the information ready tomorrow morning. M requested that you call her as soon as you got back."

Lucas disconnected the call and dialed the familiar number.

"008, glad to hear you're back in the States."

"I'm glad to be back. I heard you needed me for something?"

"Yes, have you gotten any information regarding the Davis case?"

"I got a name: Colin Ellis. I've already contacted Felix and I'm planning to pay Ellis a visit."

"Take it easy 008, you just got back from Uzbekistan."

"A 00 can never take it easy, M," Lucas laughed. He threw his phone down on his bed and started fishing through his luggage. He opened the red velvet box inside and checked it before walking to Brooke's room.

* * *

**Brooke's room**

Lucas lightly knocked on Brooke's door, the other hand holding the box behind his back. As soon as the door opened, he was enveloped in a tight hug.

"Lucas! You're back!" Brooke screamed excitedly.

Lucas laughed, "You're certainly excited to see me."

"Of course I am. I missed you."

He smiled back at her before teasing, "Uh-huh. I think you're more interested in the souvenir."

She joked along, "Damn, you got me. Hand it over."

"It's amazing actually…"

"Let me have a look."

"I have your parents', your fiancé's, your maids', your butler's, and the other help's souvenirs, but yours just escaped my mind."

Brooke faked disappointment, "Oh well…" Lucas took his hand from behind his back and showed her the red velvet box. She looked at him and he nodded back in approval. One look at the stunning piece of jewelry sent her gasping.

"Oh my god, Lucas. I can't take this. This is too much," said Brooke as she shoved the box back into his hands.

"It's yours, Brooke. Take it as a gift… for being an excellent student," Lucas stumbled as he gave his unconvincing excuse.

Brooke looked at him in confusion, "For being an excellent student? But-"

"No buts, it's yours now. You can't give it back," he argued.

"It is _really _beautiful," Brooke replied hesitantly as Lucas nodded in amusement, "And it would be a shame to let it go to waste." Again, Lucas nodded in amusement. "Okay, it's mine now, no take backs." Brooke gave Lucas another hug as Lucas laughed.

Brooke Davis. She was beginning to grow on him. She certainly wasn't his type though. No, he went for independent, strong, beautiful women; preferably ones that weren't as naïve as Brooke. It wouldn't hurt to sleep with her though. Or become friends… after sleeping with her, of course. Any red blooded male would be crazy not to want her. But the question that irked him most was, how did sexual attraction gravitate towards a profound sense of protection over the stunning brunette?

She snapped his out of his thoughts with a question, "Lucas? Can you put this on for me?"

"Huh? Sure." She lifted her hair up to allow Lucas to place the necklace around her neck. Once Lucas caught a glimpse at her in the mirror wearing the necklace, a breath hitched in his throat. It was the best two hundred fifty grand he ever spent.

* * *

**Pool, later that night**

He never underestimated the soothing effects of water. Even in adrenaline-fueled underwater chases, the calming effect was nagging at his conscience. The water drowned out his thoughts and he succumbed to a nirvana-like state. Lucas swam a few more laps before settling for a spot in the corner.

"Lucas, my favorite man."

"Are you drunk Brooke?"

"No, I only had 6, 7 or was it 13 tequila shots?" Brooke said as she struggled to maintain her balance.

"You're drunk. Come on, let me take you to your room," Lucas said as he made a move to get out of the pool.

"DON'T go anywhere. I'm not drunk. I just came for a late night swim," she slurred as she walked towards the pool. Lucas just looked back expectantly as he remained at his spot in the pool. "I-" Brooke slipped and fell into the pool.

When she emerged from the depth of the pool, she scolded, "Don't laugh at me Luke! You know, you came here out of nowhere. I walked into the piano room expecting another beautiful woman my dad would eye or a man my mother would claw at in a moment's notice. I mean, the second is true. You came here with that sexy British accent of yours," she gulped down a sudden rise of air, "and I was so attracted. I love Julian and somehow, you complicated it. I'm not supposed to feel attracted to another man, but I feel so lonely half the time. Julian is hardly ever home and I spend so many fucking nights crying over it."

Lucas looked back at her with pitiful eyes when she continued, "Do you know how sexy you are, Lucas Scott? You say and do all the right things, things that I would only dream of Julian ever saying and doing. You are the definition of everything sinful, yet sexy." She laughed and placed a hand on his chest.

It was evident she was drunk beyond coherence. Yet, she was saying things one should never say to a man like Lucas Scott. Hell, it took all his self-restraint to not take advantage of her. But, Lucas was not that kind of man. He had sex with married women, engaged women, single women, but he would never lay his hands on a drunken woman. Still, his attraction was growing, literally. He would take her back to her room and let her –

Before he knew it, she crashed her lips onto his. Her tongue was begging for entrance, which Lucas allowed. They deepened the kiss, their tongues wrestling for control. Lucas' hands rested on her hips and he began bringing her closer. Halfway through, she didn't respond. She didn't pull away, she just didn't respond. Lucas stopped the kiss and pulled away.

"Great, she fell asleep," Lucas thought to himself. He was disappointed, but he knew it worked out for the best. While carrying her, he made their way up the stairs and grabbed a towel to dry her off.

When Lucas kicked open her bedroom door, he was greeted by an empty tequila bottle on the floor and used tissues. She had been crying over her absentee fiancé again. As he laid her on her bed, he couldn't help but look at her broken face. Everyone thought that they would kill to have a life like hers. The wealth and luxury was merely a façade for the tears and pain that hid behind it. Granted Julian was out to kill him and steal the Leopard, but Lucas felt sorry for him. Here was a woman who loved him unconditionally, despite her confession at the pool earlier. And Julian? He was out plotting a takeover. He was out doing business and for what? So he could assume a position controlling another empire dominated by wealth and luxury? All that meant nothing. His goal was laughable, really. Attaining the unattainable while the attainable lay in tears in bed every night. Lucas kissed her forehead before heading to his own room.

* * *

**There you have it, Brucas' first kiss in my story. I was going to delay it while I developed the characters a bit more. I've read so many Brucas stories that seemed rushed and I was hit by the last chapter wondering what the heck happened. That isn't how I want this story to play out. I want you guys to slap me across the face if you ever feel like I'm rushing anything. If you feel the opposite, slap me across the face as well. dianehermans did a good job of doing that a while back. At this point, I have the words "character development" drilled into my head. **

**I have another story, A Search for Meaning, (I swear this is not a sales pitch) and I would greatly appreciate some of you reviewing that as well. Anyways, review this chapter and I'll see what I can do**


	6. She Will Be Loved

**I was reading some Brucas fics, old and new. So, I kept spotting fics that were laced with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and it aggravated me so much. This brings me to my next point; I need a beta. When I read my own fics, I think that it's perfect and need absolutely no corrections. Then I read over it at a later time and I realize what crap it is. In addition to correction in the mechanics of the writing, I value an actual opinion; you know, constructive criticism. My writing style stems from the book, ****Elements of Style****, and sometimes I'm not even following that. Spell check and grammar check aren't going to cut it. Now, your sixth chapter!

* * *

**

**Lucas' room**

Lucas lay in bed replaying the events earlier in the day.

_Brooke Davis. She was beginning to grow on him. She certainly wasn't his type though. No, he went for independent, strong, beautiful women; preferably ones that weren't as naïve as Brooke. It wouldn't hurt to sleep with her though. Or become friends… after sleeping with her, of course. Any red blooded male would be crazy not to want her. But the question that irked him most was, how did sexual attraction gravitate towards a profound sense of protection over the stunning brunette?_

_She snapped his out of his thoughts with a question, "Lucas? Can you put this on for me?"_

"_Huh? Sure." She lifted her hair up to allow Lucas to place the necklace around her neck. Once Lucas caught a glimpse at her in the mirror wearing the necklace, a breath hitched in his throat. It was the best two hundred fifty grand he ever spent._

Lucas Scott didn't buy gifts for women. Why should he, when he only slept with them? They came to him for sexual gratification. His relationships reeked of anything but superficiality.

_Before he knew it, she crashed her lips onto his. Her tongue was begging for entrance, which Lucas allowed. They deepened the kiss, their tongues wrestling for control. Lucas' hands rested on her hips and he began bringing her closer._

He wasn't supposed to abandon all sanity. He came so close to sleeping with her. If she hadn't fallen asleep, he would have slept with her. It couldn't have hit him with more force than a moving truck. He was beginning to like her on a deeper level.

Lindsay.

"_Have __**you **__ever been in love?"_

"_No and I prefer it be that way. I'm more of a one night stand kind of guy; although, I am open to more than just one night, depending on the woman."_

It was the truth, he had never fallen in love, but with Lindsay, he was damn close to it. She was Lucas' type, in a way. She was independent, beautiful, and strong, but she was nothing like the other women. Lindsay was a far cry from the exotic women he had slept with. He laughed at the thought. She was an editor for God's sake.

**Flashback**

_Lucas was sitting at a café across from an attractive woman. They had spent a good five minutes looking at each other before Lucas got up and walked over to her. He took a seat at her table._

"_I hope your friends don't mind me intruding," Lucas said, "I'm Lucas."_

"_No, it's fine. I'm Lindsay…"_

**End Flashback**

At first glance, she was a typical New York City girl, decked out in clothes found on the covers of Vogue. Her career made her seem boring. She was anything but. In fact, she took Lucas on the ride of his life. Their relationship had its ups and downs.

**Flashback**

"_You're nothing but a selfish jerk, Luke," said Lindsay as she threw her bag on the floor._

"_How am I a selfish jerk? What did I even do?"Lucas asked exasperatingly. _

"_I saw you! You were flirting with that waitress."_

"_What? I wasn't flirting with her; I was asking her a question."_

"_Yea, let me guess. Can I get your number? What time does your shift end? Your place or mine? Take your pick."Lindsay screamed as she threw another item._

_Lucas, shielding himself with his hands, walked closer. "For the last time I wasn't flirting with her," he said angrily. She slapped him across the face. He seized her wrists and the two sunk into the angry tension, staring at each other. Lucas abruptly captured her lips with his, to which Lindsay quickly responded. He pulled away, "You're so hot when you're jealous."_

**End Flashback**

His life, the one filled with blood and women. He was ready to give that up. Deep down he knew he could never quit MI6, but he was willing. Their relationship was mostly physical, but she hit him hardest when the both of them would let loose. She would push ice cream into his face and he would chase her. She constantly found ways to annoy him beyond belief, but hell, if there was ever a girl who could get away with it, it was her. It wasn't exactly classified as love, but he came close. So close within his grasp, when it just… slipped away.

**Flashback**

"_Shit, I forgot my phone back in the apartment. I'm never going to get to that meeting on time and it's all going to fail. My dad's going to fire me-"_

_Lucas laughed at her frantic gestures, "Linds, calm down. Go wait in the car; I'll go get your cell, okay?"_

"_Yea, thanks Luke," she sighed as she gave him a quick peck on his cheek._

_Lucas looked for cars before running across the street. A car swerved around the corner, heading towards Lucas._

"_LUCAS! Watch out!" Lucas turned just as Lindsay ran to push his out of the way. When the car came into direct view, Lucas caught the eye of the driver and the man riding shotgun. The man held a gun, which he shot before driving off. The two fell to the ground. A dark red liquid covered Lucas' hands and he looked down at Lindsay in horror._

"_Lindsay! Someone call an ambulance! Linds, babe, please stay with me," Lucas yelled frantically as tears made their way on the brim of his eyes._

"_Lucas, I-I l-l-love you," Lindsay said as she succumbed to the heavy weight burdening her eyes._

**End flashback**

It was a constant reminder he wasn't allowed to love. He was an orphan, like the other 00's. There was no room for emotional attachment in his line of business. Emotional attachment was the worst kind of vulnerability a 00 could possess. Lucas had experienced its consequences with full force. He went through a dark period after Lindsay's death. His mind was consumed with thoughts of revenge. No person bearing information about the killer was spared. He came close to messing with men above his status, men he wasn't supposed to touch. It almost cost him his 00 status. After all this time, he couldn't rid himself of the guilt. The killer was supposed to get him, not Lindsay.

And his mind cut back to Brooke. He was beginning to like her. He was beginning to **like** her. He couldn't afford to possess this vulnerability again. He would cause her to die, he would compromise his cover and ruin MI6' chances of ever stopping Davis.

There was no way he would allow that. Loving was a last priority; there were plenty of men at stake. He wouldn't sacrifice them for his **mistake**. He would bury his feelings or have sex as a form of closure. However, he knew it wouldn't be easy now. That's the way it is. It's always easy to fall in love, never out of love. He silently prayed that he hadn't gotten in too deep. That would be the final line drawn between his success and failure. Failure was not an option, not at the expense of innocent lives.

* * *

**Kitchen, in the morning**

Lucas never got much sleep. There were plenty of excuses to go around. He was an insomniac, he always had to watch his back, the gun under his pillow made it hard to sleep, whatever. Here he was in the kitchen, getting his daily caffeine fix. As he took another sip, Brooke walked into the kitchen. He began pouring her a cup.

"Here," Lucas offered her the cup.

"Thanks," Brooke groaned while holding her head.

He reached towards one of the cabinets and grabbed the aspirin and poured her a cup of water. He took the cup of coffee out of her hand, "This first."

Brooke took the pills. "God, I have the worst hangover ever. I can't even remember a thing."

"Yea, you were awfully drunk last night," Lucas said in amusement.

Brooke groaned, "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

Deciding that revealing the events of last night would only result in unnecessary awkwardness, he filtered the truth. "Not really. You just slipped and fell into a pool," Lucas said as Brooke hid her face in embarrassment, "Brooke, I know why you were drinking last night. Alcohol isn't the way to approach the problem. You're causing your body harm over what a jerk did an-"

"It's not a problem. Julian had to take care of business, I understand. I drank to pass the time."

Lucas stared at her dubiously, "Don't defend him, Brooke. You shouldn't have to understand these things because there's nothing to understand. There's no excuse as to why he shouldn't be here right now. You need to let him know what you think or he's just going to keep going on these business meetings. You're an amazing person, Brooke and it's a shame he doesn't realize what he's missing."

Brooke broke down in tears. Lucas immediately pulled her into a hug, "Shh, it's alright. Brooke, whenever you need someone to talk to or it gets too hard to deal with, you come to me okay. He isn't worth the tears anymore."

"I love him so much Lucas. I don't know what I'd do without him," she sobbed into his chest.

He pulled back and looked at her. The image of such a broken woman tore at his heart. "You don't need him. You don't need a man who doesn't show you he loves you. He's the one who should be worrying about what he should do without you."

These words apparently worked as her sobbing subsided. She pulled apart from the embrace and wiped her tears away. She gave him a peck on his cheek. "Thank you, Luke. You're a good guy." With that, she left. Lucas was left staring at her retreating figure.

"You're another one of those guys."

Victoria Davis had a habit of scaring him shitless, just by coming out of nowhere. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're after my daughter. I swear, once a woman reaches her prime, no man looks at her again."

"I'm not after your daughter. Mr. Davis made it-"

"Clear that you should in no way, touch her? You're not the first to refute my claims and you won't be the last. I saw the hug. Don't tell me you thought more of it. Brooke is terribly loyal to Julian. She loves him and she won't leave him."

"I was trying to console her. That hug meant nothing. She clearly has trust issues and she's constantly demeaning herself. It's a little insulting for you to imply that I would take advantage of an emotionally vulnerable woman, don't you think?"

"Oh, I think alright. I think a hug may not mean much, but a kiss certainly does," Victoria gloated as Lucas' face went pale, "Don't worry I won't tell. You lay your hands off my daughter and I'll stay away." He clenched his jaw as she kissed his cheek.

* * *

**Lucas' room**

Victoria Davis made a threat that somehow involved her taking him sexually. How predictable. As far as she was concerned, he wanted to sleep with Brooke, nothing more. Somehow he found himself entertaining Victoria's request. He would steer clear of Brooke outside of their piano lessons. He wouldn't try to make conversation. His top priority was taking down her father and reclaiming the Leopard. It actually worked out for the best that way. Victoria wouldn't proposition him shamelessly, as she did as of late. He wouldn't fall in love. MI6 wouldn't experience a possible code red. Great. Victoria Davis was a genius.

The ringing of his Devour quickly snapped him back to reality.

"Felix?"

"Good morning to you too. I've got an address. He lives at the Carver building on Central Park West; penthouse. Working for MI6 really pays off, huh?"

"I've worked at MI6 for quite some time. I've never heard of a Colin Ellis."

"His name is in the system. He works in accounting, probably why you've never heard of him. That and the fact that he's not a woman."

Lucas chuckled, "You know me so well, Felix. I'll meet up with you at his apartment." He disconnected the call and changed into his customary attire: a suit. He wore a tan suit, light blue dress shirt, and gold tie paired with his patent leather shoes. Satisfied with his ensemble, he made him way downstairs.

"Are you heading out Luke?"

So much for avoiding Brooke. "Yea, don't worry, we'll just push the piano lesson back. Bye." He didn't give her a chance to respond as he was already out the door.

* * *

**Carver Building**

Lucas ran towards the building and approached Felix, who was waiting by the door.

"Sorry I'm late, parking in New York City, you know?"

Felix chuckled knowingly, "It's fine. Shall we?" He gestured his hand towards the building. The doorman opened for them. The lobby was empty. They made their way to the elevator and got in.

"Have you got anything else on Ellis?" asked Lucas.

"No. I'm afraid you'll have to ask M for more information," Felix responded. The elevator opened to the penthouse door. They exchanged glances.

"Seriously? I thought penthouses didn't open to large metal doors," Lucas commented.

"Looks like we're going to have to pick the lock on this one," Felix sighed as he handed Lucas tools he kept inside his blazer.

After a minute of playing around with the lock, Lucas managed to get it open. "We're in." They opened the door to find several items thrown across the floor.

"What is that ungodly smell? This place is a pig sty," Lucas said in disgust. They rummaged through some of the possessions until they reached the master bedroom.

"Guess we found where the smell was coming from," Felix piped in.

"Shit, someone got to him before we did. I know M wouldn't call a hit on him. Something's not right," Lucas contemplated before phoning M.

"Someone called a hit on Ellis. Is he important to MI6 in any way?" Lucas asked, eyes surveying the dead body.

"Dupont picked his name up on the system. He's an accountant, but he doesn't know anything about our operations. Not even the low level operations," M replied.

Lucas shook his head in confusion, "There's no way he can afford this penthouse then. He can't be the rogue agent." Suddenly, a small sliver of light caught his eye. The man was clutching onto a gold pocket watch. Lucas kneeled and slowly removed the watch from the man's grasp. Felix looked at him in understanding while he trailed off in conversation, "I'll get back to you M."

"What do you think of this?" Lucas asked.

"You said he can't afford this penthouse. He sure as hell can't afford that then. I'll trace the serial number back to a name. I'd have to get back to you later tonight though," Felix speculated.

"That's fine. About the body…"

"I'll have someone pick it up. We'll run some tests, but I have a feeling you won't be referring back to Ellis."

"No… I have to get back. You'll be fine?"

"Yea. I know how desperate you are to get back to that Davis girl," Felix joked.

Lucas only chuckled in response. If only he knew.

* * *

**Davis Mansion, dinner**

Davis and Baker were still away on "business", leaving Brooke, Lucas, Victoria and all the sick tension between them to brew. Well, Brooke was oblivious to the tension because she was too drunk to know of the basis of the tension between Lucas and herself. The three sat at the dinner table, dangerously quiet. Lucas glanced at his phone a couple of times, desperately waiting for an excuse to leave. Victoria was eyeing Lucas hungrily. Brooke was focused on the seared scallops with sun-dried tomato couscous and saffron beurre blanc.

"Brooke, there's a dinner party tomorrow. Your father and fiancé will be back in time. We're going shopping tomorrow," Victoria said as if to cut through the painful silence, "I would invite you Lucas, but it's strictly family."

"It's okay. I've been putting off certain chores for awhile now. It will give me a chance to finally attend to them," said Lucas. His phone rang. "If you'll excuse me," said Lucas as he pulled his chair out. He walked to his room, thankful for the excuse to finally leave the suffocating environment. Once there, he locked the room and made his way to one of the chairs looking out the window.

"You couldn't have called at a better time," Lucas thanked.

"Dinner not going so well?" teased Felix, "I have a name for you, but you're not going to like it at all."

"Well who is it?" Lucas asked impatiently.

"David Lancaster."

Felix was right. He didn't like it all. David Lancaster was 004. A 00 was the rogue agent.

* * *

**Shocking revelation, huh? And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Or maybe you guys don't find it as exciting as I do. In which case, review and let me know what I can do.**


	7. Gallery

**My apologies to those waiting for this chapter. I felt so lazy the last couple of days after playing basketball and I couldn't find the strength to type words on a page. Yea, I know, pathetic right? I also didn't want to update until I had at least 300 words on the next chapter. I'm sure you don't care about all that so, your seventh chapter.

* * *

**"008, welcome."

"Where am I?" Lucas asked tiredly. He was trapped in a completely white room, similar to that of an insane asylum. Surely, he wouldn't be in a mental institution, would he?

"You're at the base of operations. This is where we control the outside world. Quite impressive actually. This building has 52 flo-"

"Cut the bullshit, Lancaster. What am I doing here?" he snarled as he fidgeted with the cuffs chaining him to an operation table.

"Come work for Davis. I'm the head of covert operations. I'm sure he could easily find someplace for you. After all, you are a 00."

Lucas laughed in his face. Lancaster, visibly dissatisfied with the response, punching Lucas' face. "Lancaster, this isn't you. I know you wouldn't betray MI6, what's this really about?"

"You don't know a thing. MI6 doesn't treat us right and you know it. We're out there risking our lives with nothing to show for it. M sits at her stupid desk all day and takes all the credit for it. You're going to be a 00 agent for the rest of your life, Scott. Wake the fuck up. As soon as you get old, they're going to kill you. If you're lucky, they'll let you live in complete isolation. But, now I'm working for Davis. I'm the fucking head of covert operations. I've gotten farther with Davis than I have my whole career with MI6," Lancaster shouted.

"Were you not aware of the terms of agreement when you agreed to be a 00 agent? King and Country, Lancaster. We're not concerned with getting credit; we're concerned with protecting the goddamn country. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"You're deluded, 008. You haven't had a taste of what Davis can offer you. Women, wealth, recognition. Sure, you've had your fine taste of women around the world and accumulated a certain amount of wealth, but nothing like the scale on which Davis offers," Lancaster said excitedly while he walked to Lucas with a big smile and grabbed his shoulders, "Come work for Davis, Lucas. We'll be drinking out of gold cups, sleeping with the finest women, and we'll take this whole fucking world for ourselves."

Lucas shook his head, "I'm not going to betray my country. One day you'll wake up and realize what a disgrace you are. You can't claim the world because in the end, nothing will be enough."

Lancaster looked back at him in utter disgust and anger. He turned away and started laughing while shaking his index finger at Lucas, "You're stupid, you know that? Clearly you're not going to change your mind. I'm afraid this will be the last time I see you. Men, bring in the vials," he said. A couple of men wheeled in a cart containing several vials. He slowly continued while walking around the room, "You know the difference between Davis and the government, Lucas?"

Lucas didn't bother to respond. He clenched his jaw and watched as a man filled a syringe with the contents of one of the vials.

Lancaster, seeing that Lucas wouldn't answer, walked to Lucas and laughed sardonically. "Davis doesn't believe in quick, painless deaths. I'm going to give you one last chance, seeing as you're my friend."

"I'm no friend of a traitor," Lucas replied.

Lancaster downturned his lips, "Guess I have my answer then." He snapped his fingers and pointed at Lucas. The men flicked the syringe and injected the colorless fluid into Lucas' bloodstream. Slowly, he felt like he was being burned and his insides were being ripped out. He screamed in agony.

"AHHHHH" Perspiration lined the contours of his body. Lancaster couldn't have been working with Davis. Lucas knew him. Lancaster wouldn't betray his country like that. That, however, did nothing to ease the unsettling feeling in his stomach. It was the first time he managed to fall asleep in a long time. Who was he kidding anyway? He knew he wouldn't get much sleep.

* * *

**Living room, morning**

None of the pieces fit. 00s were trained not to break. Lucas refused to believe Lancaster had any part in the Davis ordeal. He had two options at this point: tell M about Lancaster's betrayal or find a way to clear his name. If he chose the former option and Lancaster was indeed innocent, Lucas would be a pawn in Davis' game. If he chose the latter option and Lancaster turned out to be the rogue agent, MI6 would be in grave danger. There was also the possibility he turned in the rogue or he cleared Lancaster's name.

"Good morning Lucas."

Lucas turned toward the owner of the voice even though he knew who it was, "Good morning Brooke." Victoria's plan was not working out.

Brooke laughed, which garnered a confused look from Lucas, "Sorry. It's just that for the past fifteen minutes you've been sitting here doing nothing. The T.V.'s not turned on, you're not drinking coffee. You're brooding, Broody."

"Broody, huh? So, you've been watching me for the past fifteen minutes. Any other stalker tendencies I should know about?" joked Lucas. Brooke playfully slapped his arm.

"I'm serious. I know you said I could come to you, but the same goes for you. What's plaguing your mind Broody?" Brooke asked with concern as she played with his hair. She was biting her lip as she did so. His breaths quickened and his attraction was growing. He was finding it hard to concentrate.

"Just have some difficult decisions to make," he finally got out.

"Okay, we're going to play that game, huh? Fine don't tell me. But, I will give you this piece of advice," she whispered as she neared his ear, "Flip a coin." Oh yea, he would definitely need a cold shower after feeling her breath on him.

Lucas laughed, "What?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Life's funny that way. Flipping a coin helps me make a lot of decisions," she clapped her hands together and got up, "I have to get ready; Julian's going to be back soon." With that, she left.

Flipping a coin? Should he really be entrusting a matter of life and death to a coin? It would ensure a quick decision, but not necessarily a correct decision. He decided to flip the coin.

"I'm going to clear his name. This coin is only going to reinforce that decision, should it be right," Lucas thought. He dug into his pocket, producing a quarter. "Heads says he's a traitor, tails says he's innocent. Here goes nothing." He tossed the coin up, waiting for it to hit the top of his hand. Mere seconds seemed like hours. He let out a breath as he caught the coin, still contemplating whether he should trust scientific reason, one based on utilitarianism and materialism, laced with the deeply rooted principles of the Scientific Method, or release his inhibitions and surrender to psychological anarchy. Now that everything was in perspective, there wasn't much going for pure chance. He gulped as he removed the hand hiding the final decision. Tails. David Lancaster better pray he's innocent.

* * *

Cause an internal threat. It was a common tactic among spies in the attempt to gain greater knowledge. The easiest way to do so was to gain Davis' trust. The first time he employed the tactic, MI6 thought he turned rogue. That was exactly how good he was. Only problem was, he would have to abuse his license to kill. It would be a hell of a sacrifice to make to clear Lancaster's name, but it would be the quickest way.

Davis would undoubtedly be suspicious. His cover hadn't provided him with the greatest leverage. Davis and Julian were due back in New York any time now, just before the dinner party. Brooke and Victoria had shopping plans. That left the guards and the laborers. Some of them would greet Davis and Julian at the airport and a couple would be leaving with Brooke and Victoria. He would have to risk getting into Davis' office and work with any information he got there.

He was dressed, sitting in the living room pretending to read the paper. As soon as Brooke and Victoria left, he would make his way to Davis' office. Hopefully Davis and Julian wouldn't be back before then. Victoria made her way slowly down the stairs, gaining eye contact with Lucas. She kept her end of the deal so far. Lucas had yet to touch Brooke. Aside for the few visits he had from Brooke, the "conflict" was partially resolved.

"Brooke, we're going to be late. We all know you're in desperate need of that stylist," Victoria shouted cockily. This woman did not hold back. Obviously, she thought her statement presented herself as the better of the Davis women. Lucas, however, was not going to entertain her opinion. The insecure will belittle the unconfident; who was he to disrupt the natural order of things?

Brooke came down in a silk blue dress with a neckline that dipped just enough to show the desirable amount of cleavage. Lucas found himself smirking at her, to which she returned a smile. She lacked a slight bit of self confidence, but she carried herself well. He found himself disappointed when she waved goodbye, a goodbye free of any flirtatiousness. Of course, now was not the time to be disappointed over such trivial matters. As soon as they were out the door, he abandoned his paper and made his way upstairs, evading any guards along the way. The only security measure taken outside the office was guard patrol, so it was relatively easy to gain entry. Surprising how a man like Davis trusted his guards and family enough to keep the door open and the office free of cameras. Then again, the men back in Uzbekistan had willingly died for Davis.

Davis kept his desk free of clutter for the most part. Lucas looked through the few papers on the desk and inside the drawers, nothing. Davis had a few books in his bookcase. Lucas looked through those as well, nothing. There was no safe in the office and any piece of furniture containing anything was searched. His eyes landed on the artwork hanging on the wall behind the desk.

"Let's hope he's as cliché as the rest of them," Lucas muttered as he lifted the painting. He couldn't believe it. No safe. The man was clean. No evidence whatsoever.

"What are you doing in here?"

* * *

Lucas looked at Davis seriously before answering, "I was admiring your painting. Jackson Pollock, am I right?"

Davis' skepticism did nothing to hide the trace of surprise, "Yes. An original actually. So you were here, admiring my painting?"

Acting skills were possibly the most useful weapon a 00 possessed. "Yes. I must say, you have excellent taste in art, Mr. Davis."

Slowly, the skepticism began to fade. Right on target, this man's key was artwork. Rule one: establish a connection through the key, show interest.

"Thank you. Are you interested in fine art?"

Rule two: don't show too much of an interest; push away from the focus just a little. "Why yes. Although I'm more of a minimalist myself. Clean lines, simplistic artwork. Not to say I don't admire paintings of other movements," replied Lucas.

"I have a gallery downstairs. Houses some of my finer pieces. If you ever find the time, we can observe them. I would be very interested in hearing what you have to say about those paintings. I can't say I'm surprised though. You're an arts man, quite like me. Julian, Brooke's fiancé, never found an appreciation for such things. I always thought he was a bit rough to be honest. Never really understood the meaning behind the art."

There's always a crack in the foundation. Rule three: don't be a suck up. Just because the man seems to be criticizing his daughter's fiancé, it's still a test. No one likes a suck up, at least not when it's laid thick. "I'm sure there's something you both have in common. After all, a father would never allow his daughter to marry just anyone."

He looked at Davis. Davis' face eased into an uncharacteristic softness. "Cars. We both share a fondness for cars. Julian has at least 20 of his own cars in our garage. Some of them have got unmatchable speed. I lean towards cars of a different style," Davis said as Lucas raised his eyebrow inquisitively, "I'm a Rolls-Royce man. It's not about the speed for me."

Lucas was about to cut in when Davis continued, "That's a fine car you've got. An Aston Martin. I have to admit, I was skeptical of you at first. A piano teacher making that kind of money. Money to fund such lavish habits. Then I ran a couple of checks. You turned out to be a solid young man. The generosity of the families you've worked for is well deserved."

Once again, Lucas was interrupted as he tried to fill the few minutes of silence, "What I told you on your first day still stands true. You're likable Lucas, but I still don't trust you."

Rule four: don't promise anything. People generally hit a wall after revealing something personal. It's fair for them to say they don't trust you and they don't. The thing is they've given enough information to go in for the kill.

Lucas laughed, "If you trusted anyone so easily, you certainly wouldn't be the man you are today." Davis smiled in agreement.

"Richard-"

Julian. He was a glorified henchman that managed to sleep with his boss' daughter without being killed. Lucas didn't have anything against the man except for the fact he was trying to kill him. And the fact he got to sleep with Brooke. And the fact that he took Brooke for granted. Okay, so he did have something against the man. He, unlike Julian, would be gracious. It was a trait among the 00s. The 00s would remain gracious or calm even when the opposition pointed a gun at their faces.

"Ahh, Julian. I was just talking to Lucas here. Unlike you, he actually has an appreciation for art," Davis said, "Lucas, do you like cars?"

He cleared his throat, "I like cars, yes. Julian, I heard some of your cars reach unmatchable speeds. Perhaps you could take one out and race me sometime."

Julian narrowed his eyes as if to say that Lucas' suggestion was almost childish. "Actually, we were going to head out for brunch. However, I'll entertain your idea. After brunch. My Ferrari against your Aston Martin.

* * *

**After brunch**

Brunch for Davis and Julian was not brunch. In fact, it was a meeting with an unknown man containing information about the Leopard. Neither side wanted to wait the couple of months for Tarasov. They had taken it upon themselves to search for any traces. A phone call from Mihailov was due any day now. Hopefully, Mihailov would have more luck than Davis' contact. Right now, the only thing going for Lucas was the fact that Ivanov was Davis' absolute last resort.

Brooke and Victoria were back from their shopping trip by the time Lucas came home. Davis and Julian decided to go to brunch, or rather lunch, after their meeting.

Lucas made his way to his room, locking the door. Now that he had to stay away from Brooke, he had nothing to do. He hadn't checked with M since Lancaster was found out. Not that he wanted to check in with her. He couldn't find any compromising evidence on Davis. The Leopard was still at large. The rogue agent whom Lucas suspected to be someone other than Lancaster was threatening to ruin the mission. Lucas had underestimated Davis.

He went through some of the background files over again. There wasn't much to work with. He had singled out a couple of possible rogues. However, their motives seemed relatively minor. When he heard a knock, he quickly scrambled to hide the files.

"Hey Lucas," Brooke said as she walked into his room.

Brooke seemed like the clingy type. It was typical of a woman that never had to learn to make a living. It was also typical of a woman that wanted to feel loved. Lucas made it okay for her to approach him and it made her feel welcomed.

"Hey Brooke, what's up?"

"I'm bored and tired. My afternoon with my mother wasn't exactly a walk in the park either," she sadly replied.

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows and consoled, "For the record, I think you look beautiful no matter what you wear." He felt guilty for her mistreatment. Victoria thought in some way it would impress him, but her actions only lowered his opinions of her. While he tried to build Brooke's confidence, Victoria shattered it with her insensitive comments. It showed in the way Brooke responded to compliments.

"Yea," she said unconvinced, "So I'm bored, my dad and Julian aren't back yet."

"Actually they are. They went out for brunch. I'm racing Julian later," he said as Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Your father sparked a conversation about cars and somewhere along the way, your fiancé pitted his Ferrari against my Aston Martin. You're welcome to watch, you can even ride shotgun."

"Oh, Julian would never let me take part in a race," she responded, "And you have nothing on Julian. When he's home, he spends a lot of time fixing up his cars. He took me for a ride in his Ferrari and needless to say, I was so happy to touch the ground after that."

"Vouching for the fiancé I see," Lucas joked, "Well, you're welcome to ride shotgun in my car."

"I think I'll stand on the sidelines, but I'm looking forward to it. Bye, Luke." Just as quickly as she waltzed into the room, she walked right out.

* * *

"Nice car." Lucas approached the Julian who was wiping the hood of his car.

"Just nice? You've no business even trying to race me. I spend my spare time improving the cars I've got. When we're done, you'll see I have the superior car."

"Why don't we let the cars do the talking?" Lucas suggested as he got into his car.

"Hold up," Julian said as Brooke walked towards them, "What are you doing here?"

"She's here to do the honors," Lucas shouted.

Julian seemed disgruntled with his answer, but decided to let it go and entered his car. Julian drove a 612 Scaglietti. Lucas owned the same car and knew all of the specs. The 612 Scaglietti was capable of reaching a speed of 196 mph while his own reached 184 mph. However, he had nothing to worry about as Q had modified its speed and installed a state of the art computer system and a nitrous system. As soon as Brooke gave the go ahead, the two took off with Lucas gaining a slight lead. Julian, being an experienced driver, eventually matched the distance and took the lead. The two were now neck and neck in the race, approaching the three quarters mark. Neither was allowing any space for the other as both weaved around each other for a lead.

"Now it's time to shut this cocky son of a bitch up," Lucas grinned. He activated the completely untraceable nitrous system and took the race. As soon as he got of his car, he was attacked by a hug from Brooke.

"You won!" she exclaimed.

"Yea, I did." Julian finally reached them and proceeded to exit the car. He was visibly angry with the result of the race.

"Brooke, get away from him," he shouted as he shot a glare at Lucas, who was smirking. Julian forcefully grabbed Brooke and practically shoved his tongue down her throat before walking towards the mansion.

While Lucas maintained the confident smirk, he couldn't help but feel jealous as Julian looked at him when he kissed Brooke. His eyes almost betrayed his feelings.

"You know, you should've let him win," said 2-inch, "He's only going to make life harder on you."

Lucas threw the keys to 2-inch. "I think I'll manage."

* * *

**Originally there was only one Brucas scene, but I could see how that would have been unsettling. I'm almost at the end of the whole character development, but each of the characters are so complex, I felt that I should at least introduce the intricacies and nuances before developing the story as a whole. Bear with me for awhile, I promise more Brucas.**


	8. Speed of Sound

**If you guys can't tell, I started this chapter back around September. And forgive me, I've been putting it aside until now. I literally finished it yesterday. Here's the thing. I got really hyped up about an idea I had for this story. It involves New Years since I missed the Christmas update. Yep, that means in about a day or two, there's going to be another chapter up for this story and Agape: Love Song Requiem. I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter and please review. Chapter title is Coldplay's Speed of Sound  
**

* * *

"Pass me a beer, please"

One of the guards threw a beer in Lucas' direction. While the Davises were out at a dinner party, Lucas was warming up to the guards or rather vice versa. "Thanks. Come on Posada." They were in the security room watching the Yankees game. During commercials, Lucas would ask a few questions regarding Davis. From the guards, he learned that Davis spent quite an amount of time in his private gallery and wine cellar. The gallery was installed with motion and heat sensors and the guards did their rounds every hour. The wine cellar was unprotected. The room marked "No Entry" was the guard hangout, nothing of interest.

"Oh, grand slam!" resounded around the room. Everyone was cheering and drinking. Because of this, no one noticed when Lucas connected a small drive to the computer handling the main security system. It would be useful later when he checked the gallery.

"We've run out of beers. I'll go and get some," said Lucas. He exited the security room and walked towards the kitchen. As he was walking, the door opened to the Davises and Julian. Davis and Julian walked in front, followed by Victoria and Brooke. The former three ignored him and immediately walked toward their rooms.

"Hey Luke. Stuck here with nothing to do?"

"I was actually watching a baseball game with some of the guards. They ran out of beer so I offered to go on a beer run to the kitchen. You're welcome to join us if you want," invited Lucas. Brooke debated whether she should go.

"Sure, why not?" she said as she followed Lucas into the kitchen.

"I'll grab some wine for you," said Lucas after he grabbed a case.

"No it's fine. I can drink beer," she said.

Lucas raised his eyebrow. Brooke Davis didn't seem to be a beer drinker. "You sure?" he asked with a smile.

"Yea, I'm sure. Hurry up or else we'll miss something," she playfully hurried. They made their way back to the security room, where a few guards almost jumped for the beers. They immediately stopped upon seeing their boss' daughter in the room.

Brooke, picking up on the silence, said, "Hi guys, Lucas said it was okay for me to watch the game here. Do you mind if I join?" She was met with a couple noes and some of the guards wiped down the seats, each offering his seat to her. Lucas took a seat next to her. "So, is there a team we're rooting for?"

"The Yankees, they're the ones in the pinstripes" replied Lucas. Throughout the game, Brooke asked him questions. Normally, he would find any other woman who did this, annoying. However, he enjoyed the closeness between her and himself. His feelings were supposed to go away, but they kept coming back even stronger. The kiss he shared with Brooke replayed itself in his mind countless times. The vulnerability he sought to erase was making its way to his heart. And he didn't know how long he had until it would become a full-blown threat to his very existence. Engaging in a knife fight in Buenos Aires was easy. Commandeering an enemy plane off the coast of Italy was easy. Enduring torture from Vietnamese soldiers was easy. Trying to sever ties that the heart has already forged was an unyielding tribulation.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Scott, its Felix. We had the body checked out. There was an unusually high amount of potassium in Ellis' bloodstream."

"Lancaster uses different poisons when killing his mark. He's maybe one of the nicest 00s, but his killing methods are brutal. One of the agents at MI6 intercepted a call before it got to M and told me Lancaster hasn't radioed in. He missed the meeting with his MI6 contact."

"I know you don't want to admit this Lucas, but maybe it's time to announce Lancaster rogue."

"No, it's not like Lancaster. We were tortured by assassins in Lithuania. Neither of us caved, but if we did, I would have first. Lancaster would never betray his country."

"Lucas…"

"I know what you're thinking. It's dangerous for a spy to assume anything, but you have to believe me Felix. Just promise me you'll keep this under wraps until we are absolutely sure that Lancaster is either innocent or guilty."

"I don't know. It's a big risk."

"If our past poker games have taught you anything, it's that I'm more than willing to take a risk."

* * *

**Carter Building**

After everyone had gone to sleep, Lucas promptly exited the mansion and drove to Ellis' penthouse. Once there, he was met by Felix, who had already allowed himself in.

"What exactly are we trying to find?"

"I don't know. Hopefully we'll find another lead."

"Try not to move anything. FBI will have our asses."

"Didn't think you cared."

"I don't. I just don't like giving them a reason to have my ass."

Lucas snickered. "It must have been a professional hit. I've got nothing so far."

"Nothing on my side either. Wait. It's a flash drive. At least what's left of it, but I'm sure we can retrieve some of the files."

"Great. When do you think you can get it to me?"

"Hard to say. I'll have to send it to one of my analysts. Even after I'm done, I'm not sure I can get it to you myself."

"What do you mean?"

"The Director reopened a case. I've been ordered to oversee the assignment. Someone else is going to take my place while I'm gone."

Lucas looked a bit skeptical. "Who is this person?"

Just then, a blonde woman entered the room and interrupted the conversation. She began walking over to the men. "Me. And I believe I'll be taking that," she said as she snatched the flash drive from Felix.

"I don't believe we've met," Lucas said while offering a smirk.

"Sarah Walker," she responded while offering her hand for Lucas to shake.

He took it and planted a kiss on it. "Lucas Scott."

Felix cleared his throat. "Sarah has been briefed on the mission details. I'm sure you two can handle this from here while I return home to pack." With that, Felix left the two in the penthouse.

"So, Lancaster huh? Doesn't seem like the traitor type."

"I didn't think so either. And right now, this assignment is off the charts. I don't want M knowing about this."

"Don't worry about it. Felix told me already. I'm willing to make you an offer."

Lucas chuckled in confusion. "An offer? I wasn't aware we were making a deal."

Sarah ignored him and continued, "I'll agree to take this assignment off the charts and long as I work directly with the Davis case."

"With all due respect, the Davis case belongs to MI6. After all, it is our intel that they're after."

"Fine. But remember, I'm the one with any intel right now," she retaliated as she waved the flash drive in his face and began to walk away.

Lucas took hold of her hand and pulled her back. "Alright, I'll take your offer. I'm just a piano teacher though. I can't get you into the house without raising any suspicion."

"But you can. Our cover is boyfriend and girlfriend. That way, I can make occasional house visits and you have an excuse to leave the house whenever you want."

"No way. Anything but boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Then I walk. I'm not going to waste a chance to take down Davis because you can't keep it in your pants."

"I don't know about you, but I can't exactly forget my needs."

"I'm sure your hand will do just fine."

He stared back in disbelief. "_Agent Walker_, I haven't had that use for my hand since my teenage years and I don't plan on making it one. Fake boyfriend and girlfriend **with benefits**. I've agreed to your terms. Those are mine."

"No benefits," Sarah smiled and gave him a card, "After you think this through and decide not to waste our time, let me know."

Lucas smiled back and took the card as he watched her leave.

He took out his phone and dialed her number.

She stopped short of the door and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm in."

She turned back to look at him. "Glad we're on the same page."

* * *

Sarah Walker was refreshing to say the least. It would be great when he finally got to sleep with her. For one, her family was non-existent. Therefore, she wasn't rolled from head-to-toe with issues like Brooke. Her father wasn't a notorious crime boss. And most importantly, she wasn't engaged to another man.

However, as Lucas continued to compare the two women, Sarah seemed to falter. She didn't have the same amazing smile with the gorgeous dimples. She didn't have the silky raven hair. She didn't have the irresistible green irises. And since she was a spy, she didn't have the heartwarming, caring personality.

Lucas realized he was slowly slipping in his human counterpart: the part of him that had been so close to falling in love with Lindsay long ago. He wasn't going to allow that. It would get him killed in the field.

He didn't even know why these thoughts were in his head. Maybe it was because he hadn't had a good fuck in a long time. Walker made it clear she didn't intend on sleeping with him. It was a shame really. He was a spy. She was a spy. They were trained to be emotionless so the emotional entanglement usually involved with being fuck buddies would be nonexistent. He wasn't so lucky with his other one night stands around the world. Of course, it would see fit the one time he seemed lucky, he wasn't actually so.

He ran his checklist through his mind once more. Regain MI6 intel. Unchecked. Find and terminate rogue agent. Unchecked. Clear Lancaster's name. Unchecked. Bring down the Davis Empire. Unchecked. And the newest addition to his list: sleep with Sarah Walker. Unchecked.

The one thing he left out as he was making his checklist was getting Brooke out of his head. Subconsciously, maybe he knew it would be left unchecked long after the mission was done and he was gone.

* * *

**0900 hours, Davis Mansion**

It had been a slow couple of days thus far and Lucas wasn't planning on doing anything.

However, the day had only started. Who knew? Maybe he would get lucky tonight. He would be satisfied and Brooke, hopefully, would be out of his head. After all, didn't the most beautiful women in the world reside in Manhattan?

That came out sort of wrong. He knew it came out wrong. Even as he was thinking it, it didn't settle well with him. Damn it. She was getting under his skin. If he didn't do something about it, he would get killed. And in his world, it just wasn't his time yet.

As he waited for his Aston Martin, a door behind him clicked. Of course, it had to be Brooke.

"Good morning."

"Good morning. You're up early," Brooke commented.

"Well you know me," he chuckled. He turned away and muttered to himself, "'You know me?' Who the hell says that?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"Nothing. I was just wondering where you were headed."

"Uhh, I was just going to the Trump International Hotel."

"Huh," he replied in thought, "I was actually headed there too."

"Really?"

"Well, Central Park West to be specific, but it's in the same area. Why don't I take you? Give Victor the day off."

"You sure? I don't want to trouble you."

"Really, it's no trouble at all," Lucas said as he walked to the passenger's side and opened the door for her, "Shall we?"

"So why are you going to the Trump Hotel?"

"My family has this New Year's Eve Ball every year. We organize it at the Trump Hotel and I'm basically in charge of the whole operation."

"Sounds exciting," Lucas uninterestedly said as he made a turn.

"Yea well, if by exciting you mean talking to two faced backstabbing socialites, then it's so exciting," Brooke sarcastically said.

He smiled and looked at her, "You're nothing like how I imagined."

Maybe it was a figment of his imagination, but as she leaned closer, she seemed to take on a flirtatious tone. "And how's that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged as he made another turn, "I've worked for many rich people in my day and let me just say, none of them has ever described their peers the way you just did. You don't fit into that materialistic rich girl profile. I can't describe it. You're just you."

"Thanks I guess?" she blushed, "You're not so bad either Lucas Scott."

"Oh I know," he smirked cockily.

"Arrogant as well," she teased.

"Arrogance and confidence are two very different things," he pointed out, "No one wants to sleep with an arrogant man. Now a confident man, he can sleep with anyone he wants."

"So you're telling me you can sleep with whomever you choose."

"Precisely."

"Bullshit."

"I definitely didn't imagine that," he scoffed in good taste.

"What?" she asked in mock offense.

"You have _cojones_. You're really something else," he said as he waved his finger in the air.

"I'm just calling you out. I guarantee you there's at least one woman out there that doesn't want to sleep with you."

He threw his head back in laughter. "Why don't you find me a woman that doesn't want to sleep with me? After all, we don't want to make it too easy for me do we?"

"Wow. It just doesn't stop does it? Alright, you're invited to a ball. There's a total hard ass at this party. Biggest tease ever, but never puts out. You think I have cojones, she _gives_ men azul cojones."

"Challenge accepted," he laughed, "Surely we can up the ante. Winner gets what?"

"A hundred bucks."

"That's weak."

"Oh yeah? And what do you suggest?"

"Winner gets to choose the underwear the loser has to model," he challenged as he pulled the car into a stop.

"I am engaged you know?" she narrowed her eyes.

"It's all in harmless fun. Of course, if you refuse, maybe you don't have the cojones I thought you did," he said after unbuttoning his seatbelt and turning to her.

"Fine. Winner gets to choose the underwear. And I'm not letting you get away with wearing briefs."

Lucas merely held his hands up in proclaimed innocence. "I wouldn't expect you to. Just don't expect me to let you off easy either."

She leaned in and placed a hand on his chest. He could feel the sweetness of her breath upon his lips. She was extremely close, yet too far for his liking. "Good. So we're on the same page. Bye Lucas." She abruptly exited the car, leaving Lucas feeling rather empty.

"Azul cojones," he laughed.

* * *

It took forty-three seconds for him to pick the lock. As soon as the click sounded, he got up from his knees and opened the door.

He made himself at home as he began browsing everything. He picked up a picture frame and casually looked through a few papers.

"What are you doing here?"

He shifted his attention from the papers to the woman in front of him.

"You know it's really not fair. You're standing there in nothing but your underwear and you're telling me we can't sleep with each other."

She mockingly laughed, "If you haven't noticed, I have my knives." She pointed to the knives strapped to her right ankle.

He crossed his arms and leaned against a wall. He narrowed his eyes in a dangerous manner. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Whether I like the question."

"And if you don't?"

He was answered with a knife thrown just to his left. However, he didn't bat a single eyelash and smiled instead. He uncrossed his arms and pointed at his forehead. "You missed. My head's right here."

"Okay, stop wasting my time."

"Why won't you sleep with me?"

Again, he was answered by another throwing knife. "A little stupid of you to ask that question, don't you think? I am the one with the knives."

"Oh I know. I just didn't think you would actually put one through my head. I think you like me a little too much for that."

"Very funny. I, unlike you, have some self respect. I don't want to sleep with you. You, on the other hand, shamelessly threw yourself onto an engaged woman."

He approached her and took her hand in his. "Sweetheart, self respect is overrated. There's no such thing in our line of work."

Her face softened a little.

"But seriously, I never thought I'd say this, can you please put on some clothes?"

She chuckled and swayed her way into the bathroom teasingly.

* * *

He was checking his messages on his phone when a pile of papers was dropped in front of him. "What is this?"

"Davis' dossier."

He cleared his throat and sat upright. "What makes you think that I don't already have a dossier?"

"I'm sure you do. Just not as extensive as mine. I've been following the Davis case for a long time. Everything is in there."

Although he was dubious at first, he was impressed. Of course, he would never tell her that. "And you have all of Davis' mistresses. Are any of them his confidantes?"

"Not that I know of. It's a strictly sex ordeal," she commented as she took a seat right next to him.

"Then we're going to give him one," he smirked.

"Don't. I know what you're thinking."

"Come on. It's the perfect way. Look, his daughter invited me to the ball. One slight change to our cover though. You're going to be a recurring fuck buddy, not my girlfriend."

"I thought we agreed on our cover. I told you I was going to walk."

"I know how desperately you wanted to be my girlfriend, but I'm your way in. It's entirely up to you."

"Fine, continue."

"We're fuck buddies, but we still maintain a certain amount of intimacy. That way, when you flirt with Davis, he comes to you."

"Like a push and pull effect."

"Exactly. Davis might get a little gropey, might even invite you to a room I'm sure he's already reserved for such momentous occasions."

"I'm not going to sleep with him. As the CIA's top seductress, I pride myself on not having to sleep with my mark. When I mention Lafite Rothschild, you're going to come in."

"Don't worry. Just stall until an hour past midnight. We tranq him. We go back to my bedroom that I will have reserved for such a momentous occasion. And we have insanely passionate sex. I promise I'll be there in the morning. Not many women can say that much.," he added as he leaned in for a kiss.

She pushed away his face in disgust. "Nice try. I'm not sleeping with you either. We'll wait in your room and watch everything from there. Julian is still going to be at the party."

"Alright. Does he have any mistresses?" he asked hopefully.

"No. He's hasn't slept with anyone other than his fiancée. You know Lucas, some people are actually loyal to their partners."

"I'm loyal to you, babe. You don't have to worry about me stabbing you in your back. Maybe you should reward me for promising you this loyalty. After all, I don't just pass it out to anyone," he joked.

"Your attempts at getting me into bed are amusing, really, but now you're laying it a little thick."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'm just putting the offer out there." He leaned in closer and captured her lips with his. Instinctively, his hands made their way to her face. Just as she began to respond, he pulled away. He smirked. "It's your turn to do the chasing."

* * *

**I'm sure some of you hate me because of the introduction of new character. Blame it on my Chuck craze. I can promise you there's nothing remotely Chuck about the story except the fact that Sarah's there. I may or may not have mentioned this, but I'm big on the whole conflict thing. No conflict makes for a boring story. Then again, too much conflict makes for a bad story. I'm trying to find my balance so bear with me. I mean, Brooke has Julian so it's only fair that he has someone too. And no, I'm not going to use Julian and Sarah as tools for making the Brucas jealous. It always backfires so I'm not even going to go there. Anyway, REVIEW. I would underline that at least 5 more times if I could. Tell me how much this chapter sucked. Tell me how much you liked it. I'll appreciate it either way.**


	9. Dice

**From the three reviews I got, I sensed your dissatisfaction. I know that there wasn't enough Brucas interaction and there should have been more.**

**So thanks alysef and dianehermans.**

**This is kind of a cliche New Year's Eve chapter. And as promised, there is Brucas interaction. Have a Happy New Year and without further ado, your next chapter. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint.**

* * *

He put on his Louis Vuitton cufflinks, followed by his Marc Jacobs jacket and fixed his bowtie. Somehow, those never wanted to stay straight. Maybe he should have gone with the tie instead.

"You look great."

He turned around to see the owner of the voice. Brooke. "Thanks. You look beautiful."

She was wearing a strapless seamed black dress paired with black Christian Louboutin patent pumps. "Tie giving you trouble?"

He chuckled. "Yea, it doesn't want to stay."

"Hmm, the usually debonair Englishman couldn't get his tie to stay," she teased as she fixed his tie.

He narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." She held her hands up in surrender. It was at this moment that Lucas realized how close they really were. As a matter of habit, he began staring at her lips. He took one step forward. He could hear her deep breaths and her hesitance.

Maybe it wasn't the greatest idea. He cleared his throat. "I should get going." He began walking away from her.

It took a moment for Brooke to realize he was walking away. She turned to ask him, "Where are you going?"

"I have to pick up my date. I'm allowed to bring one right?" he checked.

"Uhh, yea… yea. Date's fine."

"Okay, I'll meet you there. And our bet's still on," he said as he continued out the door.

She laughed. "How could I forget?"

* * *

He made his way up to Sarah's Central Park West apartment. He never decided to ring the doorbell with her. Instead, he would just pick the lock. True, it was weird, but it was practically routine for the both of them.

He took a seat on the love seat and waited until she got out of the bathroom. She was wearing a black dress with a plunging neckline. (For those of you that watch Chuck, the one she wore in Season 1 Episode 4)

"Stunning," he remarked, "You ready?"

"Hold on." Sarah produced a case with ear buds and another case with a watch. "Put this on."

"No dates and gifts already?" he joked.

"Cartier Tank solo watch. Q sent it over," she responded seriously as she helped him put his watch on.

"He shouldn't have. Testing. Testing. One, two, three."

"Sound quality is great. Now can we go?"

"Yea, we're taking my Aston Martin."

"No, we're taking my Porsche."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are we seriously fighting about this?"

"Yes. I get that you want to live up to the whole James Bond persona-"

"Let me get one thing clear. Bond and I are very different. We may be friends, but I am in no way trying to emulate him. Q happens to modify Aston Martins. It's his _thing_. Of course, I can opt for the Mercedes, but please forgive me for not choosing the rich wannabe car of choice."

"Nice speech. We're still taking my Porsche and I'm driving."

"This whole antagonizing thing you have going on is extremely sexy, but I'm not in the mood to fight over something so trivial. No gentleman would let his date drive. Call it chivalry if you will. So unless you trust me to drive your Porsche, we're taking my Aston Martin."

"Fine." She "accidentally" ran her foot along the length of the lower part of his leg. She grabbed him by his jacket and inched closer to his ear. "It's not so fun when I don't get my way," she whispered huskily.

He had to clench his teeth to prevent himself from doing anything. Spies always knew how to push each other's buttons.

* * *

As soon as he reached a stop, Lucas pulled the keys from the ignition and got out to open Sarah's door. He offered a hand, which she took, and threw the keys toward the valet.

"Lucas Scott plus one" he said. He turned ever so discretely and whispered to her. "I have to exchange a few pleasantries, but I'll get back to surveying the room later."

"Okay, I'll take the area by the staircase. Look for Davis."

"For someone that doesn't want to sleep with him, you seem eager," he teased.

She mock chuckled. "Very funny. Go do your job."

As soon as they parted ways, he made his way to Brooke. Before she noticed him, he closed in and left about an inch between her back and himself. He whispered into her ear, "So who's the mark?"

Brooke turned around and greeted him with a smile. She pointed in the direction of the bar. "Jessica Hamilton. She's over there. You sure you don't want to back down? I'll settle for the hundred bucks. I mean, you did bring a date."

He returned her smile. "Not a chance. My date is just someone who tagged along. We're not actually dating. My, she seems awfully popular," he commented.

"She should be. Her father owns half of New York. She's gorgeous."

He placed a hand on her lower back and took her hand with the other. "Are you describing yourself? These men seem to have the wrong target," he mused. He kissed her hand and walked towards the bar.

He had dealt with these crowds of men before. In the end, he always got the girl.

He leaned against the bar and ordered, "Can I get a bottle of the Cristal please?" He placed a few hundreds in exchange. He gave the bottle an extra shake and uncorked it in the direction of the men.

"What the hell is wrong with you loser? This suit is Armani," yelled one of the men. The other men looked at their suits in disgust.

"I'm awfully sorry. Let me clean this up for you," he said as he grabbed the napkins the bartender handed to him.

The man raised a hand up to stop him. "Stop. You've done enough." He stormed off angrily.

Lucas cleared his throat and took a seat. "Can I get two flutes?"

As he expected, the woman took a seat next to him. "Thanks for helping me back there."

"Me helping you? No. I was just trying to get my bottle of champagne open."

Jessica placed a hand on his knee and began working her way up. "Who are we kidding here? You're a man just like the rest of the losers that were crowded around me."

He turned to look at her with a stern face. "Honestly, I'm not interested. I've met tons of women like you and sexually? They've all been disappointing. Take a look at that woman right there." He pointed to Sarah and his eyes almost popped out when he saw Julian approaching her. "Get away from him," he whispered a little too loudly.

"Excuse me?"

"Uhh, please excuse me for a second." He walked away from the bar and began talking into his watch. "Sarah, get away from Julian. He's not the mark."

"Davis, your ten o'clock," she responded. Lucas looked to see Davis walking off with a woman young enough to be his daughter. "He already found a woman. We came too late."

"We'll find another way. Just stay away from Julian."

"He's second in command. He handles the business more directly." She directed a fake smile at Julian.

"I'm telling you to stay away okay? I'll get your goddamn information. He's not going to give anything away. If you get him up to the room, I'm not going to save you," he threatened. When he reached them, he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey babe," he said. He gave her a short kiss and turned his attention to Julian. "Julian" he nodded.

Julian responded with a grunt. "Scott, couldn't imagine you with a girl like this."

Lucas smiled politely. "We're just going to get drinks." He guided her to the bar. "Listen, I have something I still have to take care of. Whatever you do, steer clear of Julian."

"Cut the bullshit Scott. We both know I can get information from Julian so what's this really about?"

"Look, I'm trying to protect someone," he said as he caught a glimpse of Brooke talking with a few men, "If this partnership is going to work, I'd prefer if you had my back."

Unfortunately Sarah followed his gaze. "I do have your back, but I'm not going to lay off because you want to get laid. We're spies. Maybe you should start acting like one."

His eyes narrowed, but he was interrupted by Jessica. "So this is the woman who you think can please you?"

Sarah whispered into his ear. "I don't have time to deal with this, so while you waste our time, I'm going to do some work." She walked off. However, Jessica prevented him from following her.

"I'm really not interested," he said, his attention still on Sarah.

"Come on, I'll make it worth your while. Not many men can say they've had the pleasure."

"I don't know," he replied nonchalantly, "Women say that and not many can satisfy me. So if you'll excuse me, I would rather take my time to find someone that can. " He tried to walk off, but she placed a firm hand on his arm.

"I'll let you put in anywhere," she whispered huskily.

He hesitated, but saw that Sarah was standing alone. Satisfied that she was nowhere near Julian, he responded. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

They started walking toward the lobby, her arm linked with his.

As he was walking, he caught a very upset Brooke walking out toward the balcony.

"Hold on. I have something I have to take care of," he said. He ran after Brooke. Quietly, he slipped through the door.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

She scoffed. "Men suck." Tears stained her porcelain face.

"I'd love to vouch for my gender, but I'm going to agree with you this one time," he said, "So is there anyone in particular you'd like me to beat up?"

She laughed. "If that would solve my problems."

"Just tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you."

"Julian. I thought he loved me. He's gone all the time and I completely trust him. I just never thought he would…"

"Would what?"

"I just never thought he would cheat on me," she sniffled, "I saw him walk away with your date, the blonde in a dress cut way too low in the front."

His eyes bulged out. "WHAT?" he shouted. He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. I mean, are you sure?" He was going to kill Sarah. He had specifically told her to stay away for this purpose. He didn't want Brooke to get hurt.

"I saw it with my own two eyes. For god's sake, he had his hand on her ass. You said nothing's wrong with me, but everything he does, makes me feel like I'm not enough."

He clenched his teeth in anger and offered a shoulder for her to cry on. "You're more than enough. You're beautiful, smart, kind, warm. You're affable and down-to-earth. Any man would be stupid to cheat on you. Maybe there's a plausible explanation for this. If not, I'd be more than happy to kick his ass."

She wiped some of the tears away with the palm of her hand. "Enough about my problems. Hamilton's out there waiting for you. I guess you win the bet, huh?"

"Forget about Hamilton. You're my number one priority right now," he said worriedly, "There's something you're not telling me."

"You know, I've been with Julian for the longest time. I can't even remember my life before him. I love him so much it hurts. He used to be the greatest guy in the world. He would give me gifts just because he felt like it. He would arrange these romantic dinners on whim. He gave me some of the best memories of my life, but lately all I can remember are the bad moments. I've spent the last few months crying over how he's never at home. He never showers me with gifts spontaneously. We barely see each other long enough to have a dinner. He makes excuses for not being the man I fell in love with. He told me he was doing this all for me and after we got married, he would have all the time in the world. What a joke, huh? He's more concerned about bedding the blonde than he is about loving me. I'm so stupid."

"You're giving me more reasons as to why he's stupid than you are giving me for why you're stupid. He betrayed your trust and constantly took advantage of your love for him. If he doesn't realize how stupid he is, maybe he isn't worth your time. It's time you let him know how you feel. Every minute you hide your feelings is another minute you're hurting yourself. I'm not going to stand back and watch you get hurt like this. And frankly, I don't think you want to get hurt like this either."

Before she could respond, they heard the sound of the crowd in the ballroom. They were counting down the time until the New Year.

"TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX."

"Maybe it'll be your New Year's resolution. Just tell Julian how you feel."

"FIVE"

"FOUR"

"THREE"

"TWO"

"ONE"

The crowd erupted in applause and they could clearly see the couples seal each other's lips in passionate kisses. He cleared his throat as they both looked at each other awkwardly. "So no one's around and it's tradition right?"

"Right. Tradition…"

He took a step forward and awkwardly placed a hand on her cheek. "I'm going to kiss you now." She closed the distance between them. They both closed their eyes and allowed themselves to feel each other. She took her place in his arms and him in hers. Long forgotten were the people in the ballroom. The cold winter air blew and grazed their skin. However, it was quickly lost in their heat. Their tongues were engaged in a battle for dominance. They couldn't remember the last time when either of them had felt so alive, so real.

Brooke must have noticed how quickly things were escalating as she pulled back. Lucas desperately tried to hold on to the contact. She brought a hand up to her lips and excused herself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." She ran back inside.

"We should get wine. 1982 Lafite Rothschild preferably," he heard through his comms.

"Damn it," he muttered and went in pursuit of Julian instead.

* * *

He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could and kicked the door in.

A half-naked Sarah was against the wall, engaged in a kiss with a very handsy Julian.

"What the hell?" shouted Julian. Before he could turn around, Lucas shot him with a tranquilizer.

Sarah struggled to catch her breath. "Thanks partner."

Lucas threw Julian over his shoulder and messed the sheets around a little before throwing Julian onto the bed.

"No problem. You might want to put some clothes on," he said, turning to leave, "I'll meet you in my room.

* * *

Lucas sat in his room, absentmindedly playing around with his phone.

He was in way too deep. He could have joked around about sleeping with someone else, but deep down, he knew it wouldn't help him. There was just something about Brooke Davis that got under his skin. No woman had ever left him wanting more than she did. He found in her, all he had ever wanted. All he could think about was her. He cared about her. No, not love. It couldn't be. He cared about her a lot. Yea, that's what it was. He cared about her and she wasn't bad to look at. He couldn't love her.

His thoughts were interrupted by the opening and closing of his door.

"Anything happen yet?"

He slammed his phone on the table and stood up. "I thought I told you to stay clear. You know how I felt about you approaching Julian."

"I was trying to do my job. You were too busy trying to sex up two women."

"I told you I would get your goddamn information. Just not this way, okay? This is exactly why I work alone," he retaliated.

"I'm not going to apologize for doing my job. Julian is as important a mark as Davis. Whether you like it or not, I'm trying to take down the Davis Empire. That means I'm going to take every opportunity I get. I've invested too much in this case and lost one too many partners. So excuse me for wanting to take down the man that made me watch as he so cruelly tortured my best friend until she died."

Lucas looked down at the floor in guilt. "I'm sorry. I've let this case get too personal and I've neglected to do my job. I didn't realize how much this meant to you."

As she wiped the tears brimming on her eyes, she tried to regain what little composure she had left. "I'm sorry. We're partners and I should have had your back. It's just that I don't want to see this man get away with what he's done."

"He's not," he replied firmly while he placed a hand over hers, "I promise you. We're going to take him down. We're partners, okay? So let's forget everything that has happened. From now on, I'll have your back and you'll have mine."

She nodded and for the first time, he saw something human in her eyes.

"Now, did you find anything from Julian?"

"I wasn't able to. I should have listened to you."

"You were right in pursuing Julian you know? It's what I would've done. It's what a spy would've done."

"I'm glad it was me then, huh? I don't think Julian would be so receptive of your advances," she joked.

"I don't know," he said, "I'm pretty sexy. I think Julian would've preferred me over you." They both erupted in laughter.

* * *

**0200 hours, Davis Mansion**

Lucas entered the mansion as quietly as he could. He immediately headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.

As soon as he reached the kitchen, he noticed someone rummaging through the refrigerator. He poured a glass of water for himself and leaned against the wall patiently. He knew it was Brooke and this was the perfect opportunity for him to set things straight.

She emerged from the fridge and poured herself a cup of orange juice, oblivious to Lucas' presence. Clearly surprised, she dropped her glass when she turned around.

Lucas immediately walked over and grabbed a few napkins on his way. He dropped down and began to clean the mess up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," she assured nervously. She began to pick up the shards of glass, when she was cut. "Ahh." She retracted her hand.

"Here, let me take a look at it," he offered, "You're bleeding." He guided them both toward the sink and began to rinse out her cut. "Let me get a band-aid." He walked over to the cabinet he knew contained the item and got one. He walked back and put the band-aid on the cut. "There. Just sit back. I'll clean up the rest." He soaked the liquid and swept up the remaining pieces of glass.

She sat in silence as she waited for him to finish cleaning up. He walked over to her after he was done. "I'm all finished. Is your hand okay?"

It took a moment for her to realize he was talking to her. "Uhh, yea," she quickly gazed at her hand and stood up to walk away, "Thanks. For bandaging up my cut. For cleaning my mess up. For giving me a shoulder to cry on. For talking to me when I needed someone to talk to. Thanks and goodnight." She turned away almost hesitantly.

"Wait. Look, Brooke about the kiss-"

"It was just a friendly kiss between two friends that were abiding by tradition, right?"

"Yea… a friendly kiss," he responded, "I just don't want things to be awkward between us."

"Awkward? No, it's not awkward. We're fine," she chuckled nervously, "It's late, I should get back to sleep. Goodnight."

She was already gone by the time he responded with a meek farewell. "Yea… goodnight."

* * *

**I can't say I didn't expect the reviews I got. That's why I had this chapter written up as soon as I finished the last. I really hope I didn't disappoint with this one. And review! I don't mind trigger happy readers, you can review ten times if you want. Your reviews make me happy. And I welcome constructive criticism.**


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